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Copyright.  1919 

ROBERT  W.  BODFISH 

PALMER,  MASS. 


Printed  and  Designed  by 

THE  STOBBS  PRESS 

WORCESTER,  MASS. 


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PREFACE 

ELLOW  MEMBERS  OF  647:— 

You  commissioned  me  to  write  and  publish  a  history  of  our 
section.  I  have  done  the  best  that  I  could  for  you.  There  a:e  those 
among  you  who  will  not  be  entirely  satisfied  with  my  effort.  It 
would  indeed  be  surprising  if  most  of  your  criticisms  are  not  good 
ones.  I  have  simply  written  as  I  thought  the  subject  could  be  best 
presented  in  a  fairly  readable  manner.  I  have  been  forced  to  leave 
out  many  little  incidents  which  might  have  enlivened  a  part  of  the 
story.  I  felt  that  there  was  a  danger  that  too  many  isolated  anec- 
dotes might  prevent  the  working  out  of  a  smooth,  connected  history.  I  have  tried  to 
balance  the  different  portions  of  our  work  so  as  to  give  each  its  right  proportion  of 
space.  I  have  intended  to  tell  the  truth  about  our  life.  I  believe  that  I  have  told  nothing 
to  embarrass  any  of  you-  We  lived  the  life  of  natural  men,  did  our  work  as  we  saw 
it,  and  ought  not  to  be  ashamed  of  our  good  times.  If  I  have  succeeded  in  giving 
you  a  true  portrayal,  you,  alone,  can  judge. 

Let  me  thank  all  of  you  for  your  co-operation.  I,  especially,  wish  to  thank  those 
who  contributed  little  favors  to  assist  me,  as  Luykx,  Anderson,  and  Wilder.  Everything 
helped  out. 

If  it  is  the  proper  place,  and  I  believe  it  is,  permit  me,  in  the  name  of  the  sec- 
tion, to  thank  Lieutenant  Smith  for  the  tact  and  loyalty  which  he  showed  in  his  duties 
as  our  commanding  officer.  It  is  rare,  even  in  our  service,  that  a  body  of  men  have  a 
superior  officer  who  is  able  to  respond  so  closely  to  the  requirements  of  a  position  as 
did  our  Lieutenant.     His  name  will  be  always  linked  with  the  best  days  of  Section  647. 

It  is  in  place  also  that  I  thank  Sergeant  Swain  in  the  name  of  the  section  for 
the  constant,  untiring  efforts  which  he  used  in  our  behalf.  He  did  his  work  well.  He 
more  than  did  his  work.  He  put  himself  out  constantly  for  the  men  of  the  section.  He 
was  no  Top  Sergeant  in  the  ordinary  meaning  of  the  word.  He  was  always  a  friend 
and  helper  who  was  never  satisfied  until  his  section  received  the  best  that  could  be  found 
for  it. 

I  wish  that  I  could  go  on  down  the  list  of  the  men  who  were  in  a  position  to 
work  for  the  section  as  a  whole.  "Horn"  Snader,  Andy,  and  Risley  are  among  those 
whom  I  should  want  to  praise  were  I  to  thank  men  particularly  for  extra  attention  to 
the  welfare  of  the  section  and  the  men.  But  I  must  not  assume  too  great  a  right  to  praise. 
Each  member  has  that  as  his  own,  undelegated  prerogative. 

To  Colonel  Percy  L.  Jones  and  his  subordinate  officers  who  helped  to  perfect 
the  work  of  the  service,  Section  647  sends  its  greetings.  We  congratulate  them  on  their 
work  and  trust  that  the  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service  with  the  French  Army 
will  long  live  in  memory  as  a  tribute  to  their  efficiency. 

Lastly,  a  closing  word  to  you  in  the  name  of  the  Section.  We  have  created  a 
means  by  which  we  may  keep  in  touch  with  each  other  now  that  the  war  is  over.  Let 
us  make  an  effort  to  remember  our  friendship  together,  and  let  us  try  to  meet  again  at 
some  future  time.     As  a  practical  suggestion  I  may  say  that  there  ought  to  be  a  slight 

[7] 


surplus  from  the  printing  of  this  book.  That  can  always  be  used  for  the  printing  of 
cards  to  inform  members  of  a  proposed  reunion.  I  shall  be  more  than  glad  to  have 
such  cards  printed  so  that  any  man  desiring  to  promote  a  reunion  may  know  who  will 
be  able  to  attend. 

We  had  a  good  section.  We  grow  more  and  more  proud  of  it  each  day  as  we 
remember  our  life  and  work  together.  It  ought  to  remain  a  living  thing,  not  just  a  dead 
memory.  This  history,  I  hope,  will  help.  Each  one  of  us,  alone,  can  make  such  life  a 
certainty. 

ROBERT  W.  BODFISH. 

Palmer,  Massachusetts,  July  14,  1919. 


rsi 


INTRODUCTION 


T  is  perhaps  necessary  for  the  complete  understanding  of  this  His- 
tory of  Section  647  by  readers  not  of  the  section  that  we  insert  a 
short  foreword  explaining  the  origin  and  nature  of  the  service  of 
which  the  section  was  a  part. 

The  outbreak  of  the  war  in  1914  was  followed  rather  close- 
ly by  the  efforts  of  Americans  in  and  about  Paris  to  help  the  French 
in  whatever  way  seemed  the  most  practical.  Aid  in  the  work  of 
caring  for  the  wounded  appeared  to  be  the  most  practical  service. 
A  partially  finished  school  in  Neuilly-sur-Seine,  just  outside  the 
gates  of  Paris,  was  fitted  up  by  an  American  Committee  as  a  hospital,  and  hastily 
equipped  ambulances  were  used  to  transport  wounded  about  Paris  and  in  the  battle  zone 
itself.  This  organization,  thus  begun,  rapidly  developed  under  the  name  of  the  Amer- 
ican Ambulance  and  established  a  rear  and  front  ambulance  and  hospital  service.  In 
1916  the  front  work  of  the  organization  was  separated  from  the  hospital  work  and 
carried  on  independently  under  the  name  of  the  American  Field  Service.  A.  Piatt  An- 
drew acted  as  the  head  of  this  service  up  to  the  advent  of  the  American  Army. 

The  work  of  the  American  Ambulance  was  paralleled  during  the  early  days 
very  closely  by  Mr.  H.  H.  Harjes  and  Mr.  Richord  Norton  who  operated  two  ambul- 
ance services  under  the  British  and  American  Red  Cross  respectively.  In  1915  these 
were  united  under  the  American  Red  Cross  with  the  official  title,  Motor  Ambulance 
Sections  of  the  American  Red  Cross.  This  service  is  familiarly  known  to  us  as  the 
Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service. 

All  of  these  organizations  secured  their  personnel  through  the  enrollment  of 
Americans  already  in  France  who  desired  to  be  of  some  immediate  service,  and  through 
the  enlistment  of  young  men  in  America  who  were  eager  to  contribute  something  to- 
wards assisting  the  heroic  sufferers  of  Europe.  Many  of  these  men  gave  heavily  to 
maintain  the  sections  composing  the  different  ambulance  services.  Other  funds  were 
raised  by  campaigns  conducted  throughout  the  United  States.  By  both  means  and  by 
the  particular  interest  of  a  few  wealthy  Americans  the  services  were  able  to  work  val- 
iantly for  the  French  Armies. 

After  the  American  declaration  of  war  plans  were  formulated  for  the  organ- 
ization of  an  Army  Ambulance  Service  to  take  the  place  of  the  volunteer  services  al- 
ready at  work.  It  is  said  that  this  program  was  initiated  largely  at  the  request  of 
Marshal  Joffre  to  the  Surgeon-General  of  the  United  States  Army.  At  all  events,  vol- 
unteers were  sought  for  the  launching  of  the  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service 
with  the  French  Army,  as  the  new  organization  came  to  be  known.  Colleges  sent  units 
and  volunteers  were  trained  for  several  months  at  Allentown,  Pennsylvania,  to  take  up 
the  work.    The  first  ten  sections  left  for  France  in  August,  1917. 

Meanwhile  the  American  Ambulance  had  been  consolidated  with  the  American 
Red  Cross  and  then  had  been  absorbed  by  the  American  Army.  The  American  Field 
Service  and  the  Norton-Harjes  Service  were  also  to  be  superseded  by  the  Army  Service 
as  soon  as  it  could  be  brought  to  France.  Many  of  the  volunteer  drivers  enlisted  with 
the  new  service  and  several  sections  were  left  intact  to  continue  their  work.  Where 
not  enough  men  in  a  section  enlisted  to  permit  the  section  being  left,  the  volunteers  kept 

[9] 


up  the  work  until  an  Allentown  unit  was  ready  to  take  their  place.  Then  the  men  who 
had  enlisted  reported  at  the  Service  Headquarters  for  reassignment  and  were  sent  as 
casuals  to  be  formed  into  sections  at  a  later  period.  Our  own  section,  647,  was  made 
up  in  this  manner. 

The  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service  with  the  French  Army  has  very 
efficiently  continued  the  splendid  work  of  the  volunteer  service.  It  has  had  the  com- 
mand of  larger  financial  resources  than  the  other  and  the  results  obtained  have  been 
correspondingly  greater.  Most  of  the  sections  have  been  detailed  for  duty  with  French 
Divisions.  A  few  have  been  assigned  to  work  with  American  Divisions  as  an  aid  to 
their  Sanitary  Trains.  In  each  case  the  sections  have  done  the  front  evacuation  of 
wounded.  Competent  critics,  without  reserve,  have  spoken  very  highly  of  their  loyalty 
and  efficiency.  No  small  amount  of  this  credit  must  be  given  to  Colonel  Percy  L.  Jones, 
the  Chief  of  Service,  who  has  labored  zealously  to  build  up  the  organization  of  the  sec- 
tions and  automobile  parks  so  as  to  contribute  best  in  unified  service.  With  his  must 
be  grouped  the  names  of  his  immediate  subordinates,  as  well  as  those  of  the  Lieuten- 
ants who  have  commanded  the  various  sections. 

Sections  in  this  service,  apparently,  have  been  exceptions  among  army  units 
in  that  so  great  a  degree  of  freedom  has  been  granted  them.  They  have  not  abused 
that  privilege,  but  have  used  it,  rather,  to  perfect  the  task  in  hand.  Our  section,  every 
section  in  the  Service,  has  no  reason  to  be  other  than  tremendously  proud  of  its  share 
in  the  war.  The  personnel  of  the  Service  was  largely  made  up  of  college  men.  Every 
man  sought  to  contribute  individually  to  the  efficiency  of  the  sections.  Each  section 
was  left  sufficiently  independent  so  that  it  could  adjust  its  methods  to  meet  the  local 
situation.     Each  section  seemed  to  be  noticeably  successful. 

Frankly  speaking,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  any  man  who  is  not  satisfied 
with  his  section  and  with  the  Service  of  which  it  was  a  part.  Their  work  has  been 
worthwhile.  Many  citations  and  decorations  from  French  and  American  Armies  tell  the 
opinion  of  others.  We,  as  members,  are  proud  of  our  comrades,  the  high  grade  of  men 
who  worked  with  us.  We  are  proud  of  the  freedom  allowed  us  and  glad  for  the  ac- 
quaintance with  France  which  that  permitted.  We  know  that  that  acquaintance  has 
left  us  a  distinct  task  and  we  welcome  such  an  opportunity  to  interpret  our  French 
cousin  in  his  proper  light  of  hero,  soldier,  and  friend. 


[10] 


CHAPTER  I 
SANDRICOURT 


E  came  to  Sandricourt  expecting  to  become  members  of  a  new  section 
and  be  sent  to  the  front  immediately.  We  remained  at  Sandicourt 
for  four  months. 

The  men  who  later  became  a  part  of  section  647  were  from 
various  sections  of  the  Norton-Harjes  Volunteer  Ambulance  Service 
and  from  the  American  Ambulance  Service.  Most  of  the  men  had 
come  in  directly  from  the  front  and,  with  others  who  had  not  yet 
been  to  the  front,  were  eager  to  join  the  proposed  section.  These 
men  responded  loyally  when  the  United  States  recruiting  officer  had  urged  them  to  enlist 
in  the  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service.  Surely  their  experience  warranted  their 
speedy  assignment  to  duty.  Rumor  had  it  that  the  Allentown  units  were  to  take  over 
new  fields  of  work.     The  old  volunteers  would  certainly  have  a  place. 

The  new  section  was  formed  in  a  month.  It  left  for  the  front  in  four  months. 
It  reached  the  front  in  April.     This  was  October. 

If  we  could  have  waited  patiently  at  Sandricourt  until  we  were  sent  out  we 
might  look  back  at  it  with  a  better  feeling.  For  Sandricourt  was  not  such  a  poor  place. 
We  associate  the  name  with  our  camp.  There  was  a  town  of  Sandricourt  nearby  but  we 
paid  little  attention  to  it. 

Our  Sandricourt  which  we  built  and  kept  in  running  order,  much  of  the  time 
only  for  ourselves,  consisted  of  a  group  of  farm  buildings  about  an  inside  court,  an 
abundance  of  land  outside,  later  three  barracks  and  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  tent,  'Genie's  and 
Suzanne's.  These  latter  were  cafes  situated  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  camp  in 
the  little  town  of  Courcelles.  They  were  the  rendezvous  of  the  members  on  those  later 
winter  evenings  when  the  section  spirit  was  at  its  lowest  ebb. 

But  we  didn't  branch  out  into  the  barracks  and  Suzanne's  at  first.  The  early 
days  were  spent  under  strict  military  discipline.  Allentown  sections  came,  remained  a 
few  days,  and  went  out,  with  clocklike  regularity.  We  performed  our  duties  faithfully; 
stood  guard,  seeing  no  prowlers  night  after  night;  stood  at  retreat,  fearful  lest  some 
command  should  leave  us  stranded ;  built  barracks  which  we  hoped  never  to  live  in ;  and 
went  to  bed  at  six  P.  M.  because  it  was  cold  and  we  had  nothing  better  to  do. 

So  we  existed,  feeling  more  and  more  useless 
every  day.  A  month  brought  a  little  change.  Lieut.  • 
Harry  E.  Anderson,  who  had  been  the  chief  of  old 
section  21,  came  from  Paris  to  organize  a  new  sec- 
tion from  the  old  volunteer  casuals.  Section  Sani- 
taire  647  came  into  existence  officially  on  November 
12,  and  most  of  the  members  were  added  within  a 
week.  We  were  living  now  in  one  of  the  barracks 
which  we  had  put  up.  Section  9  kept  open  house 
next  to  us.  On  the  other  side  was  an  empty  barrack 
used  occasionally  by  transients.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
tent  completed  the  row  of  official  dwellings.  We 
are  not  at  all  partial  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  less  now 
than  then,  yet  we  found  the  tables  for  writing  and 
the  occasional  entertainments  worth  enjoying. 


[11] 


The  Barracks 


We  became  the  mas- 
ters of  the  camp.  We 
were,  in  fact,  almost 
the  only  members.  The 
All  en  town  sections 
came  through  rarely 
and  we  settled  down 
for  the  winter,  dis- 
contented but  helpless, 
and  so  inclined  to 
make  the  most  of  our 
lot.  We  became  ac- 
quainted with  each- 
other,  found  that  the 
other  man  was  a  pretty 
good  sort  and  of  a  con- 
genial type.     Most  of 

the  section  were  college  men,  or  men  of  similar  training,  and,  while  there  were  wide 
differences  of  temperament,  each  man  had  that  understanding  of  his  fellow  and  of  the 
group  which  has  been  the  secret  of  647.  The  men  got  along  with  each  other.  Occasional 
differences  left  no  rancour.     Every  man  meant  to  be  a  good  follew.    Every  man  saw  far 

enough  beyond  his  own  horizon  to  be  worth  cultiv- 
ating. The  winter  at  Sandricourt  really  made  the 
section  the  body  it  now  is.  We  became  brothers  be- 
fore the  trials  of  the  front  came  to  test  all  bands  of 
fellowship. 

The  camp  officials,  led  by  Major  Hall,  were  fine 
men  and  we  recall  with  pleasure  our  relations  with 
them,  particularly  with  Major  Chaudron  and  Major 
Whitney.  The  latter  has  never  forgotten  us  and  has 
always  remained  our  true  friend. 

The  work  at  Sandricourt  was  not  so  severe  that 
there  was  no  time  for  recreation.  We  refused  to  let 
even  our  "de- 
tails" lapse  in- 
to the  realm  of 
just  work. 
There  was  hu- 
mor to  most 
everything. 
For  a  while  at 
least  we  declin- 
ed to  permit  K.  P.  itself  to  get  on  our  nerves.  Several 
attempts  to  drive  Ford  cars  brought  grief.  Andy, 
Jess,  and  Woody  found  that  they  could  start  the  thing 
but  that  outside  assistance  was  necessary  to  stop  it. 
A  stone  wall,  a  pool,  and  a  post  bore  the  brunt  of  the 
consequences.  Dr.  DuPurtis,  the  staid  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
secretary  wasn't  immune  and  lost  his  temper  to  the 
extent  of  uttering:  "They're  contrary  things,  aren't 
they?"  when  he  left  the  "straight  and  narrow  path" 
while  trying  to  get  through  the  main  gate. 


m 

o 

W        ^1 

I  /  li 

4 

1 


Inside  the  Court  Yard 


[12] 


Barbed  wire  defenses 


Reserve  trenches  at  Sandricourt 

A  covered  trench  at  Sandricourt 


The   first   Bar-le-Duc   trip 


Retreat  brought  our  motley  numbers  out  in  most  unmilitary  fashion,  clad  in 
our  old  volunteer  uniforms,  to  salute  the  colors  of  the  camp.  Then  came  supper,  then 
recourse  to  the  barrack  where  we  discussed  quite  intelligently  questions  of  the  day,  or 
lined  up  the  "hounds"  for  games  of  "Red  Dog"  or  poker.  "Red  Dog"  brought  the  most 
confirmed  anti-gambler  as  an  audience  on  pay  day  nights  when  hands  worth  watching 
were  staked.  Taps  sent  most  of  us  between  the  blankets,  unless  we  were  on  guard  when 
we  very  conscientiously  kept  "the  home  fires  burning"  in  the  garage  and  barracks.    If 

we  did  "hit"  our  bunks  we  listened  to  the 
friendly  greetings  hurled  from  cot  to  cot  in  the 
neighboring  barrack  or  heard  the  wit  of  the 
day  rehashed  with  a  little  original  "stuff"  in 
our  own. 

The  longer  evenings  and  the  slackening 
work  sent  many  of  the  section  tramping  the 
long  road  to  Suzanne's  where  goodly  hours  were 
spent  in  comradely  fashion  over  the  "cups." 
"Pinkie"  always  led  the  vanguard  going  and 
brought  up  the  rear  on  the  return.  Yet  it  was 
rare  that  a  man  failed  to  "navigate"  properly 
when  he  reached  the  barrack.  Some  were  a  bit  loquacious  but  inspired  good  temper  is 
easily  forgiven. 

The  longer  evenings  also  brought  plans  for  other  entertainment.  Dr.  DuPurtis 
used  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  to  obtain  entertainers  from  without  the  camp  and  furnished  a  rather 
good  program  on  each  attempt.  Still  our  real  fun  in  this  line  came  from  the  boxing  con- 
tests staged  in  the  Y.  M.  tent.  There  was  a  rather  mysterious  abandoning  of  these  con- 
tests but  they  were  "topnotchers"  while  they  lasted.  It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  one 
Micky  Kernan  substituted  at  the  last  moment  for  Eddie  Durkin  against  a  young  French- 
man named  Hartwell.  What  Micky  expected  may  only  be  surmised  from  his  exclama- 
tion :  "You  told  me  he  was  sick"  after  the  fight.  Micky  stood  up  to  his  medicine  like  an 
Irishman,  however,  and  asked  his  opponent  if  he  wanted  to  "mix  it  up"  just  before  his 
final  knockdown.  But  the  best  contest  of  all  was  the  "grudge"  bout  between  Sergeant 
Major  Gordon  and  Sergeant  First  Class  Arner.  We  say  "grudge"  bout  because  only 
that  could  have  kept  Sergeant  Gordon  plunging  into  Sergeant  Arner's  right  jab  as  he  did. 
There  were  other  bouts  but  these  two  stand  out 
particularly. 

Thanksgiving  gave  us  a  general  hilarity  f  est. 
There  was  a  Y.  M.  entertainment  but  we  re- 
member primarily  our  round  of  "joy"  in  the 
barrack,  and  the  miraculous  painting  of  a  cabi- 
net in  the  empty  barrack  which  Andy  couldn't 
explain  the  next  day. 

So  time  slipped  away  and  we  had  our  first 
convoy  as  a  section.  We  were  ordered  to  drive 
Fords  from  Sandricourt  to  supply  a  section 
beyond  Noyon.  It  was  about  the  first  attempt 
at   Ford   driving  by   some   of  the   boys.     We 

started  with  a  delay  over  one  car  and  then  reached  "top  form"  which  we  held  until  the 
bulk  of  the  convoy  had  passed  through  Persan-Beaumont.  Here  "Horn"  Snader  broke 
up  a  funeral  procession  by  most  inconsiderately  hitting  the  hearse.  The  corpse  failed  to 
respond  but  the  funeral  director  did  in  a  tirade  which  left  "Horn"  speechless.  "Horn" 
is  a  good  listener  in  several  languages.  The  Lieutenant  broke  up  the  "conversation"  by 
hustling  the  cars  along  in  his  usual  fashion.  We  did  good  work  on  the  trip,  reaching 
Noyon  before  dark,  despite  our  inexperience  and  flat  tires.    The  sight  of  the  bare  towns 


A    Gift  from  Borne 


[14] 


C0NV0YTR1P: 

5AINT  NAZAIRE-5ANDRimURT.  * 


•  Peronnc 

OAMIENS       ,   ,         "H 
SfCJuentlMO 


CONVOYTRIPS  f-SANDRICOURT*  PARIS". 

N0Y0N,BARLEDUC, 
NEUFCHATEAU. 


Towns  . 
Riwars. 

Qpprommate     front  lint. 
Route    followed   bv 
-SSXJ:  647. 


[15] 


Trying   to  keep  warm 


along  the  route  served  to  bring  back  the  feeling 
of  homesickness  for  the  front.  We  wanted  to  do 
something  real  again.  But  we  could  only  take  our 
spite  out  in  Paris  that  night  and  return  dutifully 
to  Sandricourt  the  next  day. 

A  word  at  this  point  about  the  section  organ- 
ization may  be  well.  Lieutenant  Anderson,  on 
assuming  command,  named  Philip  Klein  as  top 
sergeant,  Jack  B.  Kendrick  as  second  sergeant, 
Robert  W.  Byerly  as  third  sergeant,  and  John  B. 
Carey  as  corporal.  All  but  Sergeant  Kendrick 
were  from  his  old  section,  21.  He  was  from  sec- 
tion 11.  Sergeant  Klein  left  the  section  early  to 
attend  an  officers'  school  at  Meaux.  Sergeant 
Kendrick  acted  as  top  sergeant  during  most  of  the 
period  at  Sandricourt.  Possessed  of  a  wonderful 
ability  to  make  friends  and  handle  the  section,  he 
showed  none  of  the  proverbial  traits  of  the  top 
sergeant  but  won  a  place  in  the  section's  esteem 
and  confidence  which  he  has  never  lost. 

The  section  remained  only  a  week  in  camp 
when  it  was  ordered  to  drive  cars  from  the  sea- 
port at  St.  Nazaire  to  Sandricourt.  We  left  for 
Paris  on  December  15th.  Here  we  struck  some 
delays  and  spent  the  night  and  the  next  day  in 
making  the  most  of  the  city.  The  night  train 
brought  us  into  St.  Nazaire  and  we  headed  im- 
mediately  for   the   nearest   cafe   and   breakfast. 

The  poor  woman  in  charge  worried  a  bit  over  her 

pay  but  all  we  lost  was  Mark  Kerr,  who,  of  course, 

rejoined  ua.    Whatever  St.  Nazaire  is  in  summer, 

it  is  cold  to  the  freezing  point  in  winter.     We 

spent  the  day  in  getting  the  cars  into  running 

condition.     We  drove  them  up  to  the  barracks 

which  had  been  allotted  us  for  the  night,  barracks 

set  up  on  a  plain  swept  by  winds  that  may  easily 

have  originated  in  Alaska.    A  guard  was  posted 

that    night    and    we    patriotically    froze   in    our 

country's  service.    The  next  morning  we  were  hit 

by  a  snow  storm  which  left  the  roads  slippery  and 

dangerous  for  fast  travel.     However  we  reached 

Angers.    The  next  day  we  made  a  long  run  up  to 

10  p.  m.,  when  we  arrived  at  Chartres  where  we 

proceeded  to  get  split  up  while  hunting  for  our 

billet  in  the  town.     Harris  managed  to  bend  an 

axle  by  skidding  clear  around  a  tree  that  day, 

but  with  no  serious  consequences.     We  reached 

our  destination  at  five  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of 

the  20th,  cold  but  in  good  spirits,  especially  as  a 

pile  of  Christmas  mail  was  waiting. 

Our  real  Christmas  celebration  was  a  spon- 
taneous affair  on  Christmas  Eve.     We  planned 

eggnog  for  Christmas  morning  but  were  a  little  0ur  first  home  at  sandricourt 


[16] 


previous  with  it.  There  was  plenty  of  Christmas  joy  in  the  barrack  that  night.  There 
are  no  casualties  on  record  although  a  little  first  aid  was  found  necessary  to  lead  a  few 
erring  youths  to  their  downy  couches.  One  man  traveled  in  state  on  a  table,  in  lieu  of 
a  better  conveyance.  Others  found  arm  assistance  alone  necessary.  Christmas  Day 
saw  us  a  bit  laxy  and  indisposed.  We  brightened  up  on  eggnog  in  the  middle  of  the 
morning,  however,  and  had  keen  appetites  for  a  good  dinner  at  noon.  In  the  afternoon 
we  had  an  impromptu  soccer  game  which  we  topped  off  with  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  entertainment 
and  more  eggnog  in  the  evening. 

Our  third  and  easily  our  best  convoy  came  immediately  after  Christmas.  On 
the  afternoon  of  December  26th  we  left  for  Paris  where  we  were  ordered  to  get  some 
old  Field  Service  Fords  and  drive  them  to  Bar-le-Duc.  We  slept,  most  of  us,  in  the  dry 
but  cold  barrack  at  21  rue  Raynouard.  The  cars  did  not  respond  to  our  efforts  very 
well,  several  "freezing"  on  us,  so  that  we  fell  fifty  kilometres  behind  our  schedule.  More 
sleet  at  night  left  the  roads  very  icy  and  only  luck  and  handy  cafes  kept  us  from  a 
general  physical  and  moral  breakup.  As  it  was,  Fraser  miraculously  escaped  injury 
when  his  car  skidded  off  the  road  and  turned  over.  We  stopped  at  La  Ferte  Gaucher, 
about  twenty  kilometres  from  Bar-le-Duc.  Here  we  slept  in  a  loft,  but  had  the  best 
supper  the  town  afforded.  After  leaving  our  cars  at  the  automobile  park  in  Bar-le-Duc 
we  plowed,  pushed,  and  dug  the  truck  carrying  us  through  the  snow  on  the  hilly  road 
leading  to  town  from  the  park.  The  truck  was  a  big  French  camion  and  the  day  one 
of  the  coldest  of  a  cold  winter.  Though  we  disputed  the  road  with  another  French  truck  we 
managed  to  reach  the  station  before  train  time,  only  to  find  the  train  to  be  several  hours 
late.  So  we  headed  for  a  neighboring  British  canteen  and  made  for  the  lunch  counter. 
A  kind  English  lady  soon  picked  us  out  of  the  crowd  of  French,  asked  us  if  we  were 
British,  if  we  had  any  "clackers,"  and  what  we  wanted.  Her  "Don't  call  me  Mother," 
left  us  a  bit  at  sea  but  we  did  justice  to  the  "eggs  with."  With  little  adventure  further, 
at  least  for  us,  we  reached  Paris,  spent  the  night  there  in  true  647  fashion,  and  arrived  at 
Sandricourt  at  8.30,  Sunday  night,  the  30th. 

The  next  day  we  spent  in  a  little  recuperation  and  preparation  because  we  were 
planning  a  good  old-fashioned  celebration  for  New  Year's  Eve.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  broke 
into  our  party  plans,  however,  by  sending  a  hurry  call  for  everyone  to  head  for  the  Y. 
M.  tent  as  entertainers  had  turned  up  unexpectedly  from  Paris.  Most  of  us  marched  to 
the  tent,  expecting  one  of  the  usual  "affairs."  What  we  got  brought  us  to  our  feet  with 
a  "yell."  M'lle  Gondret  of  the  Paris  Opera  House  struck  just  the  right  response  in  the 
boys  and  everyone  went  completely  off  his  balance,  at  her  quaint,  catchy  songs,  her  rare 
voice,  and  winning  manner.  We  were  so  keyed  up  after  the  entertainers  had  gone  that 
no  one  can  blame  our  seeing  the  New  Year  in  with  songs  and  general  hilarity.  It  was 
to  be  a  great  year  if  our  way  of  introducing  it  signified  anything. 

The  usual  reaction  came  after  our  recreation  and  we  were  set  at  work  in  earnest, 
preparing  for  the  arrival  of  300  Allentown  men.  We  dug  ditches,  built  walks,  and 
"juggled"  beds  for  the  new  men  in  more  rain  and  mud  than  Sandricourt  had  seen  in 
weeks.  The  trips  for  cinders  to  Bornel  had  "refreshing"  features  but  it  was  generally 
pretty  difficult  to  get  out  of  the  lethargy  of  the  past  month.  However  we  didn't  "pass 
out"  but  found  time  to  stage  as  unusual  a  contest  as  the  army  has  seen. 

Not  the  least  of  our  "details"  at  Sandricourt  was  that  of  Kitchen  Police.  While 
K.  P.  was  disagreeable  work  for  most  of  us,  some  found  it  worthwhile.  One  "Bread- 
broken,"  a  casual  living  in  our  barrack,  and  one  "Serg"  of  our  own  number  were  said 
to  have  such  appetites  that  their  presence  on  K.  P.  became  a  menace  to  the  camp.  The 
fame  of  these  men  spread  until  a  dispute  arose  as  to  the  relative  merits  of  the  two. 
"Serg"  seldom  missed  the  head  of  the  mess  line,  and  "Breadbroken"  frequented  the 
kitchen  at  all  hours.  The  barrack  split  into  rival  camps,  each  champion  had  a  manager 
selected  for  him,  and  the  bets  came  so  thick  and  fast  that  the  candidates  for  the  office 
of  camp  Vitellius  had  no  doubts  regarding  the  seriousness  of  the  contest.    The  men  went 

[17] 


into  training.  A  liquid  diet,  long  country  runs,  and  empty  stomachs  kept  the  proper 
condition.  The  contest  was  listed  for  a  Friday  night  and  even  the  potatoes  and  hard 
tack  were  provided.  But  the  camp  mess  officer  necessarily  interfered  as  he  failed  to  see 
why  two  "athletes"  should  gorge  themselves  with  food  when  the  civilians  of  the  region 
had  scarcely  the  necessities  of  life.  While  we  adjourned  the  tournament  quickly  and  got 
"all  set"  for  a  second  trip  to  Bar-le-Duc,  the  disappointed  rivals  forgot  all  enmity  and 
joined  hands  over  a  nineteen  egg  omelette  at  Suzanne's. 

On  Saturday,  January  12th,  the  section  finished  its  series  of  Sandricourt  con- 
voys. We  put  in  two  days  of  hard  riding,  enjoying  forty-eight  hours  of  very  fine  weather- 
At  Bar-le-Duc  we  slept  in  a  French  barrack  and  took  our  cars  to  the  park  early  the  next 
morning.  The  Lieutenant  had  us  scheduled  to  return  by  train  through  Paris  to  Sandri- 
court that  night.  We  thought  otherwise.  So  it  proved  to  be  marvelously  difficult  to  start 
the  big  truck  which  was  to  carry  us  to  town,  and  we  only  reached  the  station  after  train 
time.  But  the  train  was  late,  and  we  arrived  in  Paris  in  easy  time  to  connect  with  the 
Bornel  "express".  The  Lieutenant,  himself,  failed  to  make  connections  for  some  reason, 
and  so  did  not  witness  the  fine  billard  tournament  which  was  played  in  a  cafe  while  we 
were  waiting  for  "Cookie"  and  his  truck  to  enable  us  to  reach  camp.  We  were  in  no 
mood  to  "hike"  the  distance  and  "Pinkie"  was  very  sick  from  overwork  on  the  trip.  He 
recovered  in  the  bracing  air  on  the  way  home. 

Our  four  convoys  had  been  replete  with  hard  driving  and  annoyances  yet  we 
enjoyed  them.  We  saw  a  great  deal  of  France  which  we  might  have  missed  otherwise, 
and  found  even  the  hardships  worthwhile.  We  slept  anywhere  in  towns  we  happened  to 
be  in  at  the  end  of  the  day,  usually  in  some  stable  loft  or  in  a  temporarily  abandoned  build- 
ing. Guard  on  the  cold,  frosty  nights  wasn't  a  pleasure,  nor  the  starting  of  cars  in  the 
early  morning.  Yet  we  survived  and  look  back  now  to  name  these  convoys  the  biggest 
feature  in  our  Sandricourt  existence. 

Thus  our  real  life  as  a  section  at  Sandricourt  ended.  New  sections  came  in  and 
we  retired  on  well-won  laurels  and  watched  the  others  drill  and  work.  Rumors  grew 
incieasingly  persistent  that  we  were  to  leave  for  the  front.  The  camp  was  listed  as  due 
to  move,  and  we  to  go  before  that  date.  On  January  19th  the  exodus  began  and  part  of  the 
section  went  to  Fort  de  Vanves,  on  the  outskirts  of  Paris,  to  commence  assembling  cars 
for  the  section's  use.  On  January  30th  more  men  followed-  The  spirit  was  gone  from 
the  men  who  were  left  and  the  days  were  counted  till  the  time  we  were  all  to  go.  Our 
interest  in  the  camp  had  disappeared  and  it  took  "Lance  Corporal"  Snader's  most  invigor- 
ating "Suzanne  Glide"  in  the  early  mornings  to  get  up  pep  sufficient  to  keep  us  on  the 
move  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  On  February  5th,  almost  exactly  four  months  since  the 
first  of  us  reached  Sandricourt,  the  last  of  us  left.  The  section  was  enlarged  by  the  addi- 
tion of  seven  men  on  the  day  we  left.  These  men  have  since  become  as  much  a  part  of 
ourselves  as  the  original  number  who  "wintered"  the  war  in  Sandricourt.  We  hated  the 
name  Sandricourt  when  we  left  and  saw  no  future  that  could  be  as  repugnant.  Yet  now, 
in  retrospect,  we  see  the  old  base  camp  in  a  little  clearer  light,  and  realize  that  the  bands 
forged  there  might  never  have  been  discovered  had  we  spent  our  first  days  as  a  section  in 
another  place. 


[18] 


CHAPTER  II 
NEUFCHATEAU 


T  was  a  light-hearted  section  that  reunited  at  Fort  de  Vanves.  The 
men  who  had  left  Sandricourt  earlier  had  practically  completed  the 
assembling  of  our  Fords.  The  work  had  been  done  in  snappy  style 
and  but  a  few  days  would  be  required  to  finish  everything.  The 
time  at  the  Fort  had  been  well  spent;  on  the  task  in  hand  during 
the  day,  in  giving  vent  to  the  animal  spirit  long  pent  up  at  Sandri- 
court in  the  evening.  The  boys  at  different  times  had  been  able  to 
spend  evenings  in  Paris.  When  unable  to  go  there  they  had  had 
nearly  as  good  a  time  in  cafes  near  camp.  It  became  the  custom 
for  the  men  to  have  their  supper  in  these  cafes,  two  particularly  supplying  our  trade. 
The  men  became  acquainted  and  most  welcome  here.  The  time  was  spent  in  playing 
cards,  in  music,  and  in  a  general  relaxation.  On  one  evening  they  had  watched  the  big- 
gest air  raid  of  the  year  on  Paris.  Although  the  Fort  was  beyond  the  danger  zone,  the 
noise  of  the  bombing  could  be  distinctly  heard.  The  cars,  even  to  motors  and  seat  cush- 
ions in  some  cases,  were  painted,  and  we  were  "set". 

Time  slipped  by  and  orders  came  to  move  on  February  8th-  The  destination 
was  to  be  Neufchateau  where  we  were  to  be  attached  to  the  American  Army.  This  an- 
nouncement brought  a  round  of  groans  when  it  reached  the  garage.  Yet  we  were  full 
of  hope.  We  wanted  to  be  with  the  French  immediately  and  enjoy  the  accompanying 
independence.  Yet  we  expected  to  reach  them  eventually  and  so  could  endure  the  Ameri- 
can discipline  for  a  while.  Major  Andrew  inspected  us  and  we  made  ready  for  an  early 
start.  It  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  life.  We  were  unable  to  see  ahead,  so  no  dark 
spots  clouded  the  horizon. 

We  were  now  accustomed  to  convoys  and  had  no  accidents  or  unwelcome  feat- 
ures during  the  move.  The  first  night  we  spent  at  Fere  en  Champenoise,  the  second  at 
Ligny  en  Barrois.  On  the  third  morning  we  climbed  the  long  hill  road  that  makes  a  half 
circle  around  the  valley  at  Neufchateau.  It  was  a  beautiful  day — cold  but  clear.  Here 
on  the  edge  of  the  town  we  waited  while  the  Lieutenant  secured  more  definite  orders  as 
to  our  disposal.  We  ate 
our  army  rations  in  the 
wind,  looking  at  a  pic- 
ture that  was  to  become 
very  familiar  to  us  be- 
fore the  front  was  fin- 
ally reached.  The  valley 
stretched  far  back  until  it 
went  out  of  sight  behind 
the  hills  which  formed 
the  background  for 
quaint  Domremy,  the 
little  village  whose  name 
is  coupled  with  that  other 
struggle   of  France  for 

life  and  liberty.  Leaving  Fort  de  Vanves 


[19] 


Lieutenant  Anderson  and  our  cars  at  Neufchateau 

Neufchateau  itself  is  a  modest  little  town,  of  narrow  streets  and  the  setting 
which  suggests  the  19th  as  much  as  the  20th  century.  The  business  section  is  quite 
compact,  and  is  the  center  from  which  roads  radiate  to  Bazoilles,  Gondrecourt,  and  Rimau- 
court.  The  base  hospital  to  which  we  were  assigned  was  situated  at  easy  walking  distance 
from  the  center  of  the  town-  Most  of  its  buildings  had  been  erected  by  the  Germans 
during  their  occupation  of  France  after  the  Franco-Prussian  War.  It  had  been  nec- 
essary to  add  only  a  few  barracks  for  use  as  kitchens  and  a  messhall.  Several  artillery 
companies  lived  at  one  end  of  the  camp  while  some  French  soldiers  and  a  French  hos- 
pital were  also  on  the  grounds.  We  saw  little  of  either  of  these — the  hospital  when  a 
French  band  played  to  the  sick  and  wounded — the  artillerymen  when  we  had  to  pass 
their  guards  on  the  later  evenings  as  we  returned  from  town. 

The  quarters  given  us  consisted  of  a  room  on  the  second  floor  of  one  of  the 
buildings.  Next  door  to  us,  with  the  only  entrance  through  our  quarters,  the  members 
of  Base  Hospital  66  lived.  We  became  well  acquainted  with  some  of  these  men.  They 
were  not  exactly  of  our  own  type,  yet  they  were  a  good  sort  and  we  got  along  peaceably 
together.  Our  room  suffered  from  lack  of  light  but  was  otherwise  comfortable,  prin- 
cipally because  we  made  it  so. 

This  was  Neufchateau.  We  drove  our  cars  into  the  yard,  lined  them  up  in  ap- 
proved fashion,  headed  for  the  barrack  with  our  luggage,  and  so  began  another  period 
of  waiting.  Here  restlessness,  misunderstanding,  and  internal  strife  were  to  bring  the 
section  nearer  to  the  loss  of  many  of  its  members  and  of  the  bands  of  friendship  be- 
gun at  Sandricourt  than  at  any  other  time  in  its  history. 

Our  work  at  the  hospital  consisted  in  evacuating  cases  from  neighboring  towns 
to  the  base  hospital  and  in  carrying  cases  to  the 
larger  hospital  at  Bazoilles.  The  entire  twenty  cars 
also  were  called  upon  very  often  to  transport  sick 
and  wounded  to  American  hospital  trains  from  the 
Bazoilles  hospital.  The  trips  from  calls  were  al- 
ways welcome  as  there  was  scarcely  any  other 
way  to  break  the  monotony  of  a  dull  life.  There 
is  little  to  record  about  these  trips.  The  run  to 
Bazoilles  was  a  short  one  and  we  did  our  work 
with  despatch  and  care.  Since,  the  hospital  has 
become  greatly  enlarged.  Even  in  that  day  we 
could  see  the  plans  for  the  largest  military  hos- 


Burt  on  Ins  trip  for  milk 


[20] 


In  Convoy 


pital  in  France  gradually  materializing  as  we  drove  down  upon  the  little  town  from  the 
Neuf chateau  road.  Usually  cars  were  sent  singly  on  the  calls  in  the  direction  of  Rimau- 
court.  Frequently  a  car  went  to  Vittel,  a  watering  place  not  far  away.  Here  officers' 
dances  were  the  common  thing  and  we  furnished  taxicabs  for  them  until  officially  for- 
bidden. Cars  at  Gondrecourt  were  required  but  seldom.  Later,  trips  became  more  fre- 
quent. It  was  a  pretty  ride  and  no  difficulty  was  ever  found  in  securing  volunteers  for 
the  trips.  So  much  for  our  official  work.  I  have  written  little  because  there  was  little 
to  write  of. 

Our  other  type  of  work  was  the  usual  curse  of  the  soldier.  When  we  first 
arrived  the  Lieutenant  was  asked  to  supply  a  certain  number  of  men  for  the  kitchen. 
He  assigned  our  two  cooks  and  generously  added  thn  new  men  as  permanent  kitchen 
police.  Later  this  order  was  rescinded  and  we  each  took  our  turn.  We  and  the  Ger- 
man prisoners  very  creditably  fed  the  camp. 

Thus  the  routine  became  established.  Calls  came  and  were  answered ;  potatoes 
were  peeled  and  cooked,  the  camp  was  cursed  and  endured. 

But  any  routine  brings 
the  unusual,  and  we  soon 
began  to  create  novelties 
lest  we  go  mad  over  the 
disappointment  and  inac- 
tion of  our  surroundings. 
An  average  soldier,  newly 
arrived  at  a  billet,  locates 
the  nearest  cafe  as  soon 
as  possible.  Once  found, 
this  cafe  becomes  his  club 
house.  Here  he  forgets 
the  world  and  the  day's 
misfortune.  Every  sol- 
dier craves  such  a  place ; 
most  find  it. 


A  few  of  the  boys  at  Neufclwteau 


[21] 


The  "Cinq  Ponts"  claimed  the  members  of  the  section  more  often  than  the  others. 
From  this  and  other  smaller  cafes  the  nightly  pilgrims  straggled  back  to  camp,  some- 
times a  little  after  hours  when  difficulties  of  entrance  had  to  be  met  with.  Once  two 
members  walked  by  the  gate,  gesticulating  and  talking  French  so  well  in  the  darkness  as 
to  deceive  the  American  guard.  How  some  other  entrances  were  effected  is  not  recorded. 
That  they  were  must  suffice  us. 

The  barrack,  day  and  night,  except  when  there  were  group  convoys,  was  apt  to 
be  the  scene  of  a  "Red  Dog"  or  poker  game.  Hour  after  hour  was  eased  away  in  this 
manner.  A  section  library  of  standard  authors  was  secured  and  temporarily  the  men 
began  to  read  worthwhile  books.  But  the  old  inertia  was  too  great  and  the  reading  of 
heavier  fiction  soon  lapsed.  The  old  routine  slipped  into  place  again.  Several  devotees 
of  chess  and  checkers  appeared  but  gained  no  popular  support. 

February  became  March  and  the  poison  began  to  sap  our  resistance.  Friction 
was  soon  the  expected  occurrence.  The  apparently  well  oiled  machine  of  Sandricouit 
threatened  to  "freeze"  on  the  job.  It  was  not  overwork  but  inability  to  do  service  that 
brought  the  dry  rot.  The  letters  which  the  men  sent  home  during  this  period  are  the 
truest  indications  that  all  wasn't  running  smoothly.  The  homefolks  began  to  appeal  for 
"more  about  your  everyday  life".  To  tell  the  truth  shamed  the  men-  Besides  they  dared 
not  write  freely  as  an  uncertain,  undefined  censorship  left  them  helpless.  Finally  most 
did  not  write  at  all.  Five  of  the  men  attempted  to  transfer  officially.  Almost  the  entire 
section  contemplated  a  change.  It  was  only  the  comradeship  of  each  other  that  held 
the  section  unbroken.  Looking  back,  the  men  are  glad  that  no  transfer  was  effected. 
But  then  there  were  too  many  stern  realities  of  the  future  to  face  to  make  continuation 
in  the  section  altogether  pleasant. 

Yet  we  must  not  permit  too  despairing  a  picture.  The  promise  of  warmer 
weather  brought  outdoor  activities  to  kill  the  indoor  idleness. 

Burt,  who  had  assumed  direction  of  the  carrying  of  milk  to  the  hospital  from 
Rouvre  la  Chetive,  became  overwhelmed  with  appeals  for  company  on  the  day  that  he 
told  of  the  delicious  breakfasts  and  invigorating  wine  which  the  French  family,  supply- 
ing the  milk,  were  giving  him.  A  considerable  number  of  the  members  visited  the  farm- 
house and  found  a  very  pleasant  family.  One  boy  was  a  prisoner  in  Germany,  the  other 
worked  at  home.  The  wife  was  full  of  energy  and  the  real  head  of  the  household.  She 
was  very  kind  to  the  men  who  visited  there  and  we  shall  never  forget  our  impression  of 
the  simple  French  farmhouse  where  we  found  such  real  friendship. 

Our  section  has  always  sought  acquaintance  with  French  civilians  and  has  striven 
to  understand  the  French  people.  We  had  admired  the  French  soldiers  in  the  volunteer 
days  when  we  saw  them  at  their  best.  Now,  at  Neufchateau,  we  were  particularly  dis- 
gusted when  inexperienced  Americans,  even  soldiers  of  a  few  days  or  weeks  front  ser- 
vice, lauded  America  and  what  she  would  do  to  end  a  war  apparently  already  miscon- 
ducted too  long  by  France.  We  have  served  at  the  front  with  Americans  since  that 
day.  We  have  found  new  viewpoints,  real  appreciation  of  this  people  who  saved  a  world 
in  which  we  were  given  the  privilege  to  fight  for  our  own  liberties-  But  there  at  Neufcha- 
teau we  saw  only  one  type,  and  the  vaunted  superiority  of  these  inexperienced,  conceit- 
ed men,  invincible  in  their  wisdom,  was  gall  to  us.  We  were  eager  to  get  out  with  these 
same  French  whom  our  countrymen  had  not  yet  learned  to  know. 

These  trips  for  milk  were  really  the  cause  of  another  episode  in  our  life. 
Through  invitation,  a  group  of  the  section  members  with  several  officers  formed  a  party 
to  hunt  wild  boors  on  the  hills  behind  this  farmhouse.  A  dinner  was  served  in  true  over- 
whelming French  style  and  a  boistrous  hunt  was  shared  with  the  neighbors  of  the  vil- 
lage. We,  who  didn't  attend,  received  all  the  details  at  night  when  the  hilarious  parti- 
cipants returned.  Two  names  of  "gargoyle"  survive,  given  by  two  usually  sober  members 
to  each  other. 

'  [22] 


Perhaps  as  a  sequel  to  this  trip  a  bottle  of  old  "Nick"  found  its  way  into  the 
garage.  We  weren't  all  aware  of  its  arrival  and  so  were  a  bit  put  out  when  we  ventured 
into  the  workshop  of  our  mechanics  and  found  a  three  ring  circus  in  progress.  One 
mechanic  was  in  the  cage.  The  other  had  nailed  him  into  the  box  and  was  pouring  water 
on  him  with  great  delight.  Just  the  point  of  the  situation  wasn't  clear.  Even  the  mech- 
anics weren't  sure  the  next  day. 

Such  events  were  not  the  rule.  If  there  seem  to  be  many  tales  of  exceptional  hil- 
arity in  this  history  one  must  remember  that  it  is  the  exceptional,  not  the  commonplace, 
which  furnishes  interest. 

Early  March  was  fortunately  accompanied  by  warm  weather.  Baseball  facil- 
ities opened  a  way  to  endure  with  a  little  more  pleasure  the  remaining  days  at  Neufcha- 
teau- We  were  hopeful  now  that  spring  would  send  us  to  the  front.  The  "feeds"  in 
the  barrack  at  night  grew  less  frequent,  and  early  after  supper  poker  games  became  the 
exception  when  longer  afternoons  permitted  our  playing  baseball  on  a  field  not  far  from 
camp.  The  Base  Hospital  members  also  formed  a  team  and  we  played  them  several  times. 
The  most  memorable  game  was  on  St.  Patrick's  Day  when  the  elite  of  the  hospital  watch- 
ed us  run  away  with  their  idols  by  a  score  of  28  to  16.  We  have  not  won  many  of  our 
starts  in  baseball  since,  being  rather  more  proud  of  our  exploits  at  soccer.  Yet  we  still 
think  we  can  boast  a  little  justifiably  of  that  first  game. 

The  beauty  of  the  country  about  Neufchateau  has  been  spoken  of.  The  men 
took  several  hikes  into  the  surrounding  towns  to  spots  of  interest.  One,  particularly 
attractive,  was  a  chateau  sitting  high  above  the  surrounding  country  behind  the  town. 
The  other  spot  of  special  interest  was  the  birthplace  of  Joan  of  Arc.  Domremy  is  eleven 
kilometres  from  Neufchateau,  a  good  walk  for  men  who  drive  cars  and  do  not  walk  for 
a  living.  It  was  worth  the  exercise,  however,  and  most  of  the  members  made  the  trip, 
paying  tribute  at  the  birthplace  and  basilique  to  the  unconquerable  spirit  of  France  which 
at  this  time  was  so  severely  tested. 

For  it  was  at  this  period  that  the  great  German  drive  at  Noyon  was  beginning. 
We  knew  Noyon  and  yearned  to  get  there  and  help.  But  as  the  military  apparently  knew 
no  place  there  for  us  we  stayed  on  at  a  base  hospital. 

Still  a  rift  was  appearing  in  our  cloud  and  the  prospect  of  real  action  became  a 
certainty.  Gas  masks  were  issued  to  us  and  a  gas  sergeant  gave  us  a  trial  in  a  gas 
chamber.  We  felt  the  move  to  the  front  pretty  close.  Yet  we  could  not  believe  our 
good  fortune  imminent.  Something  would  happen.  A  call  for  the  evacuation  of  Base  66 
and  of  Bazoilles  to  a  hospital  train  almost  convinced  us  that  we  were  to  remain  forever. 
But  at  last  definite  orders  came.    We  packed  our  belongings  and  pulled  out. 

Our  departure  for  Vignot  on  April  15  was,  as  that  from  Sandricourt,  made 
under  a  ray  of  hope.  This  time  we  reached  what  we  had  longed  for  for  over  six  months, 
and  were  plunged  into  as  hot  action  as  we  have  ever  wished  to  see.  There  is  no  good  seen 
in  Neufchateau  in  retrospect  as  in  Sandricourt.  It  was  the  worst  period  of  discourage- 
ment that  the  section  has  ever  faced.  We  bade  it  farewell  and  rode  forward  to  the  dan- 
gers but  greater  joys  of  real  service. 


[23] 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  TOUL  SECTOR 


T  is  quite  necessary  to  digress  from  our  narrative  for  the  moment 
and  note  the  principal  features  of  the  sector  to  which  we  were 
assigned. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  when  the  German  left  wing,  at 
the  battle  of  the  Marne,  sought  to  take  the  city  of  Nancy,  they 
were  repulsed  by  the  French  under  General  Castlenau.  The  country 
between  Verdun  and  Nancy  is  of  a  nature  easy  to  defend.  There 
is  an  absence  of  any  continued  break  in  the  low  ridges  which  easily 
command  such  small  valleys  as  there  are.  From  St.  Mihiel  to  Pont 
a  Mousson  a  series  of  low  hills,  dominated  by  Mont  Sec,  gave  the  Germans  a  position 
easy  to  hold,  while  similar  ridges  and  hills  which  formed  the  Toul  defences  promised  little 
success  for  them  should  they  attempt  an  advance-  Neither  side  could  gain  without  call- 
ing upon  a  large  fo.ce.  That  neither  could  spare.  The  French  Colonials  attempted  a  di- 
rect assault  on  Mont  Sec  in  the  spring  of  1915,  but  were  unable  to  keep  the  foothold  which 
they  gained  after  tremendous  losses.  So  each  side  gave  up  the  idea  of  an  advance  and 
the  St.  Mihiel  salient  became  a  fixture  on  the  battle  map. 

The  sector  was  one  to  which  divisions  were  sent  for  a  rest  from  the  severer 
fighting  of  the  north.  It  was  here  that  American  divisions  were  introduced  to  trench 
warfare;  here  also  that,  in  time,  Germans  broke  the  rule  of  the  quiet  sector,  tested  the 
Americans'  mettle,  and  met  the  rebuff  which  presaged  the  ultimate  encircling  of  Mont 
Sec  and  the  destruction  of  the  salient. 

We  are  particularly  interested  for  the  moment  in  that  portion  of  the  front  be- 
tween St.  Mihiel  and  Pont  a  Mousson  which  formed  the  panorama  visible  from  the  hills 
behind  the  little  town  of  Lagney.  It  was  the  center  of  tho  line  and  the  most  active.  A 
fairly  level  valley  stretched  for  a  little  over  eight  miles  to  the  low  ridge  on  whose  top  lay 
the  highway  which  turned  at  Pont  a  Mousson  almost  directly  north  towards  Metz.  This 
road  sloped  into  the  valley  beyond  Rambaucourt  until  at  Bouconville  it  divided,  one  part, 
then  impassable,  leading  for  St.  Mihiel,  while  the  other  passed  through  Broussey  and  top- 
ped the  ridge  at  Giron- 
ville  where  it  descended 
again  into  another  valley 
enclosing  Vignot  and 
Commercy. 

American  batteries 
about  St.  Julien  and  Liou- 
ville  exchanged  greetings 
with  the  Germans  on  the 
ridge  opposite-  There 
were  only  small  raids  on 
the  trenches  beyond  here 
however  as  the  silent 
guns  at  Fort  Gironville 
and  a  marsh  between 
Broussey   and   the   Ger-  The  W  «*  ng«ot 


[24] 


Beaumont 


mans  in  the  valley  prevented  serious  fighting.  It  was  rather  nearer  the  center  that  sharp 
engagements  occurred.  As  has  been  said  a  low  ridge,  crowned  by  Beaumont  and  Ram- 
baucourt,  jutted  out  into  this  valley  at  the  upper  end,  only  two  miles  from  the  foot  of 
Mont  Sec  itself.  The  battered  villages  of  Xivray  and  Seichprey,  held  by  the  Americans 
as  practically  their  front  line,  lay  on  the  German  side  of  the  ridge.  On  the  American 
side  an  observer  could  see  the  towns  of  Bernecourt,  Noviant,  and  Minorville  on  the  right, 
and  Mandres  and  Ansauville  just  behind  and  below  Beaumont.  Menil  la  Tour  and  its 
little  offshoot,  Royaumeix,  were  in  the  foreground.  Civilians  lived  in  small  numbers  in  a 
few  of  these  villages  but  those  literally  under  the  shadow  of  Mont  Sec  were  quite  de- 
serted. Enemy  raids  brought  shells  into  these  spots  from  the  German  stronghold  which 
commanded  a  clear  view  of  the  entire  valley  and  all  movements  that  took  place  within. 
Yes,  it  was  a  quiet  sector  but  you  were  always  at  the  mercy  of  the  enemy.  Also  it  was 
a  sector  that  meant  pos- 
sible disaster  on  every 
road  when  a  raid  was 
staged. 

The  run  from  Neuf- 
chateau  was  but  a  short 
one  and  early  afternoon 
saw  the  cars  on  one  of 
the  back  roads  of  Vignot. 
Here  we  received  an 
emergency  call  to  send 
ten  cars  to  Menil  la  Tour 
where  they  were  to  be  put 
into  active  service  imme- 
diately- They  left  at  once 
under  the  charge  of  Ser- 


[26] 


Beginning  a  trip  at  the  Commandery 


geant  Kendrick.  The  other  cars  were  lined  up  on  one  side  of  the  main  street  of  the  town, 
and  just  across  from  our  billet,  the  loft  of  one  of  the  houses.  Our  quarters  were  very 
dark,  hay  was  still  piled  high  on  most  of  the  floor,  and  room  for  beds  or  stretchers  was 
alone  possible.  Our  kitchen  trailer  was  installed  in  a  combination  shed  and  alleyway  a 
few  doors  down  the  street.  Such  a  position  made  a  guard  necessary.  Many  a  letter  was 
written  and  book  read  on  this  job,  for  the  presence  of  a  watchman  was  alone  required. 

The  first  night  at  Vignot  was  clear  and  the  distant  rumbling  of  guns  intro- 
duced us  to  the  front  in  a  fitting  manner.  A  raid  at  Apremont,  the  night  previous,  had 
given  the  26th  Division,  to  which  we  were  now  attached,  its  first  taste  of  meeting  the 
Boches.    On  this  night  rumor  insisted  on  another  attempt,  but  none  materialized. 

On  Tuesday  morning  five  other  cars  were  sent  on  post.  Three  cars  reported  to 
a  French  medical  station  at  a  place  called  Commandery.  A  very  solid  dugout  had  been 
built  in  a  side  hill  near  what  was  said  to  have  been  a  Post  of  Commandery  for  an  old 
order  of  French  Knights.  Calls  took  the  cars  to  St.  Agnant.  They  came  infrequently 
as  there  was  little  fighting  in  this  vicinity.  This  and  the  welcome  comradeship  of  the 
French  made  a  rest  post 
for  the  section.  Only  the 
falling  eclat  from  the 
anti-aircraft  guns  and 
possibly  an  occasional 
shell,  dropped  harmlessly 
beyond  us,  disturbed  the 
boys  as  they  read,  cook- 
ed their  own  meals  with 
the  French,  walked  about 
the  hillside,  or  rode  the 
donkeys  of  the  neighbor- 
ing farm.  No  one  will 
forget  that  night  when 
some  of  the  Colonials, 
stationed    nearby,    sang 


With  our  French  friends  at  the  Commandery 


[27] 


Swimming  in  the  Meuse  at  Vignot 


and  danced  in  their  native  fashion,  or  when  a  broncardier,  once  a  star  with  the  Paris  Opera 
House,  gave  us  a  variety  of  French  war  songs. 

Two  cars  went  to  Gironville,  that  town  under  the  guns  of  Fort  Gironville,  which 
lay  unharmed  by  German  artillery-  From  here  cars  followed  the  lower  slope  of  the  ridge 
to  Liouville  and  St.  Julien.  Precaution  sent  these  cars  at  night;  except  in  an  emergency, 
as  the  roads  were  open  to  enemy  view.  We  had  not  yet  travelled  the  roads  at  Beaumont 
and  so  were  not  weightily  impressed  with  the  dangers  of  our  new  work.  The  guns  thun- 
dered away  from  ridge  to  ridge,  lighting  up  the  night  sky  in  a  pretty  picture  of  flame. 
But  the  men  on  post  slept  peacefully  in  one  of  the  houses  of  the  town,  scarcely  shaken 
from  their  repose  at  Neufchateau. 

The  different  story  was  being  enacted  by  the  men  sent  to  Menil  la  Tour.  They 
had  reported  to  the  102nd  Ambulance  Company.  Half  of  the  cars  were  sent  almost  im- 
mediately to  Mandres  where  a  dressing  station  had  been  set  up  in  an  abandoned  house 
at  the  Beaumont  end  of  the  village.  The  cars  were  lined  up  in  the  yard  and  the  men 
utilized  the  second  story  of  a  nearby  house  for  their  quarters.  Everything  seemed  very 
quiet.  True,  the  front  trenches  were  scarcely  two  miles  away,  just  outside  of  Seichprey, 
but  Mandres  had  been  shelled  only  slightly  and  the  sector  was  known  to  be  quiet.  Two 
cars  were  sent  on  to  Beaumont  as  an  advanced  post.  Runs  were  made  along  the  ridge 
to  Rambaucourt  and  Bouconville  and,  after  dark,  to  Seichprey.  The  road  to  Seichprey  was 
very  narrow  and  it  dipped  sharply  as  it  led  into  the  destroyed  town.  Here  the  men  found 
shell  holes  and  evidence 
of  war  in  plenty.  In  fact 
they  were  forced  to  shut 
off  their  motors  at  the 
aid  station  lest  the  Ger- 
mans hear  them.  But 
such  things  only  gave  a 
thrill  to  the  work.  No- 
thing had  happened  here 
for  four  months- 
Five  days  of  acclima- 
tion passed  and  the  men 
had  adjusted  themselves 
to  the  new  situation.  A 
few  shells  had  disturbed 
their  peace  of  mind  on  the 


The  Kitchen  at  Vignot 


[28] 


"Dead  Man's  Curve" 
made  where  the  back 
road  from  Mandres  to 
Beaumont  makes  a  sharp 
turn  when  it  joins  the 
road  from  Bernecouit 
and  goes  up  the  rise  to 
Beaumont.  This  curve 
was  in  good  view  of  the 
enemy  observers  and  was 
so  situated  that  fast  time 
was  impossible  on  either 
side  of  the  corner. 

It  was  about  three 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of 

April  20th  that  the  Storm  French  women  at  the  village  wash  tub  in   Vignot 

broke  and  the  German  attack  commenced.  The  town  of  Seichprey  was  literally  demolish- 
ed by  shelling  and  the  towns  and  roads  from  Beaumont  along  the  back  road  through 
Ansauville  to  its  junction  with  the  Bernecourt-Menil  la  Tour  road  were  heavily  bom- 
barded. Picked  German  shock  troops  forced  the  Americans  out  of  Seichprey,  were  in 
turn  driven  back,  and  fought  in  the  town  itself  until  middle  afternoon  when  the  Ameri- 
cans, with  French  assistance  on  their  right,  retook  all  of  the  ground  that  had  been  lost. 

The  members  of  the  section  had  gone  to  sleep  in  their  quarte  s  as  usual  on 
Friday  night.  Early  the  next  morning  the  heavy  firing  fortunately  awoke  them.  A 
gas  shell  exploded  in  the  chamber  above  and  forced  them  to  use  their  masks.  Doing 
this,  they  huddled  about  the  room  and  watched  a  German  aeroplane  fly  low  outside  and 
machine  gun  the  streets,  and  an  immense  rat  stagger  from  his  hole  in  the  wall  and  suf- 
focate. 

The  first  call  for  an  ambulance  came  in  at  6  o'clock.  The  quarters  were  aban- 
doned and  the  men  used  the  dressing  station  and  its  two  very  good  dugouts  for  the  rest 
of  the  day.  Despite  the  shelling  the  cars  made  trip  after  trip.  They  ran  into  Seichprey 
where  a  new  aid  station  had  taken  the  place  of  the  old  one  whose  personnel  were  all  pris- 
oners. It  was  on  the  Seichprey  road  that  the  explosion  of  a  shell  blew  McGuire's  car 
into  the  ditch.  He  was  temporarily  stunned  but  recovered  sufficiently  to  drag  his  aide, 
whose  collar  bone  was  broken,  into  a  nearby  trench.  Assistance  came  to  the  men  and 
McGuire  took  the  first  opportunity  to  return  to  Mandres  and  his  work.  His  car  became 
the  protection  for  a  ma- 
chine gun  and  was  drill- 
ed through  and  through 
by  enemy  fire- 

The  extra  cars  from 
Menil  la  Tour  were 
brought  into  the  work 
and  five  cars  were  rush- 
ed from  Vignot.  The 
fighting  itself  slackened 
when  the  Germans  re- 
tired from  Seichprey  but, 
as  if  in  revenge,  the  shell- 
ing of  Mandres  continued 
as  heavily  as  ever.     The 

Vard  of  the  dressing  Sta-  Gillett  and  his  first  car  in  the  yard  at  Beaumont 

tion  became  the  apparent  target  of  the  enemy  and  there  were  narrow  escapes  from  eclat 

[29] 


Quoits  at  Lagney 
Boland  and  his  friends 


A  day  off 


The  Mayor's  Daughter 
The  Valley  from  Lagney 


while  getting  out  of  the  yard  for  calls.  One  shell  narrowly  missed  several  men  when 
it  exploded  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  dugouts.  Darkness  brought  no  cessation  in  the  fir- 
ing and  Lieutenant  Colby,  the  102nd  medical  officer,  decided  to  abandon  the  station  as 
unfit  to  work  in.  Several  cars,  with  the  fresher  men,  were  left  to  make  the  calls  to 
Beaumont  and  beyond  while  the  others  pulled  back  to  Rehanne  Woods.  Sergeant  Ken- 
drick,  who  had  done  heroic  work  all  day  and  who  was  badly  gassed,  along  with  seven 
others,  also  gassed,  were  among  those  who  went  back.  They  were  sent  to  the  hospital. 
Cars  ran  from  Beaumont  to  Menil  la  Tour  all  night.  Though  the  traffic  was  heavy,  good 
time  was  made  on  the  roads.  It  was  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  the  pressure  re- 
laxed and  the  battle  of  Seichprey  could   be  declared  as  officially  over. 

The  sector  settled  itself  into  a  place  of  relative  quiet  after  the  initial  excite- 
ment of  April  20th.  A  post  was  established  at  Ansauville.  Relays  were  made  to  Beau- 
mont from  which  cases  were  evacuated  to  the  dressing  station  at  Rehanne  Woods.  We 
grew  to  like  the  work  and  found  that  the  time  slipped  away  rapidly.  McGuire  received 
a  Distinguished  Service  Cross  and  Kendrick  a  Croix  de  Guerre  with  the  gold  star  of 
a  French  army  corps  for  their  plucky  work  at  Seichprey. 

On  May  21st  there  was  a  little  readjustment-  The  section  gave  up  the  post 
near  Vignot  and  the  cars  were  called  in  from  Menil  la  Tour.  A  central  depot  was 
established  at  Lagney,  a  little  town  on  the  side  of  one  of  the  hills  overlooking  our  entire 
field  of  operations.  New  posts  were  added.  One  was  at  Raulecourt,  under  the  nose  of 
Mont  Sec  but  very  quiet  as  the  ground  was  impassable  between.  Others  were  at  Berne- 
court  and  its  advanced  post,  the  quarry,  very  close  to  the  lines  but  with  a  fine  dugout 
deep  in  the  hillside. 

The  last  few  days  at  Vignot  had  been  pleasant,  especially  since  the  weather  had 
sent  us  to  the  river  nearby  for  cool  swims,  but  it  was  at  Lagney  that  we  began  to  get  the 
most  enjoyment  from  our  days  off  post.  Beginning  in  Fraser's  guardianship  of  the 
kitchen  on  the  way  from  Vignot  when  he  watched  Woodell's  kindling,  coat,  and  valu- 
ables burn  up  in  the  oven  where  Tom  had  put  them  for  safety,  we  had  a  royal  time. 
It  was  May  and  we  lived  out  of  doors  every  possible  moment.  Our  quarters  were  in 
a  neat  looking  house  on  the  edge  of  the  town.  There  was  one  garden  in  the  rear  and 
another  between  us  and  the  village  church  next  door.  We  lived  upstairs  in  what  used 
to  be  a  stable  loft.  The  house  was  used  by  our  Lieutenant  and  some  French  officers. 
The  kitchen  was  on  one  side  of  the  front  yard  and  the  garage  in  the  stable  below  our 
sleeping  quarters.  We  had  little  to  object  to  in  our  surroundings  yet  found  the  view 
and  our  neighbors  the  real  attraction.  I  have  written  of  the  picture  which  the  valley 
made  from  here  as  it  stretched  beyond  Menil  la  Tour  to  Beaumont  on  the  ridge  eight 
miles  away.  Here  little  puffs  of  smoke  told  us  of  the  enemy  activity  of  the  moment. 
Of  the  neighbors  something  must  be  said.  The  Mairie  and  the  school  were  housed  to- 
gether just  across  the  street  on  our  right.  Here  we  found  kind  friends  in  the  school 
teacher  and  his  wife,  who  were  always  solicitous  over  our  comfort  and  for  any  men 
who  were  ill.  Somewhere  behind  us,  on  up  the  hill,  lived  little  old  Roland,  a  queer, 
jolly  Frenchman,  fond  of  talking  with  the  boys,  and  comical  in  his  attempts  to  amuse  us. 
This  village  had  lost  few  of  its  people  by  reason  of  a  fear  of  the  Germans.  The  enemy 
had  not  reached  the  town  in  1914  and  failed  to  molest  since.  The  mayor  was  the  rep- 
resentative head  of  the  town's  best  family.  There  was  little  question  of  that.  We  found 
him  and  his  family,  particularly  one  daughter,  worth  cultivating.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  Signor  and  Snader  formed  the  yet  unbroken  habit  of  doing  our  camionette  service. 
We  exonerate  Henry  but  suspect  that  Horn  found  something  besides  the  pleasure  of 
talking  to  a  pleasant  young  woman  to  draw  him  almost  daily  to  the  mayor's  cafe. 

The  front  was  so  quiet  during  all  of  May  that  we  found  time  to  continue  the 
baseball  begun  at  Neufchateau.     The  French  game  of  soccer,  played  in  the  old  service, 

[31] 


Beaumont 
Ansauville 
Beaumont 


The  Quarry 
Ansauville 


also  had  many  converts  and  we  developed  a  first  class  team  under  the  tutelage  of  Snader 
and  Luykx.  We  were  now  a  unit.  Little  causes  of  friction  had  been  subordinated  to  our 
front  work.  The  change  had  taken  place  which  did  more  than  anything  else  to  weld  us 
into  a  group  capable  of  using  its  greatest  ability  for  service.  The  transfer  of  Lieuten- 
ant Anderson  to  take  charge  of  an  automobile  park  sent  us  Lieutenant  Leroy  M.  Smith 
in  his  place.  Lieutenant  Smith  proved  to  be  the  right  man  to  command  the  section.  We 
were  old  volunteers  and  still  of  the  volunteer  spirit.  While  an  old  army  man,  Lieuten- 
ant Smith  recognized  our  individualism  and  utilized  it  to  obtain  more  efficient  service 
from  the  section,  given  with  a  better  spirit,  than  ever  before.  We  appreciated  the  attitude 
of  our  new  Lieutenant  at  Lagney,  and  we  appreciate  it  even  more  so  to-day.  Together 
we  have  proved  that  a  man  may  command  a  section  in  the  military  sense  and  still  be  a 
friend  and  a  comrade. 

Sergeant  Kendrick,  well  recovered  from  his  gas  attack,  was  attending  the 
school  for  sergeants  at  Meaux.  Wallace  McCrackin  had  succeeded  Sergeant  Byerly  as 
the  third  sergeant.  With  these  changes  we  met  the  second  trying  period  in  the  Toul  sector. 
On  June  12th  the  Germans  made  an  unsuccessful  raid  which  brought  rather 
stiff  shelling  during  the  night.  On  Sunday,  June  16th,  the  Germans  commenced  shell- 
ing the  villages  of  Royaumeix  and  Boucq  as  well  as  the  usual  points  of  attack.  These  places 
were  inhabited  by  civilians  who  fled  for  safety  as  the  bombardment  continued.     A  few 

soldiers  and  a  few  more 
"^5^  civilians   were   killed   or 

wounded.  This  renewed 
activity  of  the  Boches  of 
course  brought  out  our 
leserve  cars  to  aid  the 
men  on  post.  The  press- 
ure on  the  men  and  the 
shelling  was  particularly 
heavy  at  Beaumont 
where  the  car  driven  by 
Gillette  was  demolished 
in  the  yard  of  the  dress- 
ing station.  Things 
quieted  down  for  two 
The  car  in  which  Giliett  was  killed  davs  and  then  the  activ- 

ity began  once  more  when  the  Americans  sent  over  a  gas  attack  on  the  morning  of  June 
19th.  Of  course  the  Germans  replied  with  a  heavy  artillery  fire.  Our  cars  were  once  more 
called  upon  to  do  very  dangerous  service.  We  responded  but  it  cost  us  the  life  of  one 
of  our  members. 

The  Beaumont  post  again  sustained  the  brunt  of  the  shelling.  The  yard 
at  Beaumont  and  particularly  the  road  leading  along  the  ridge  by  the  batteries  became 
almost  uninhabitable.  Giliett  and  Swain  were  on  post  here.  In  the  midst  of  some  of 
the  heaviest  shelling  of  the  day  a  call  came  in  for  Conde.  It  was  agreed  that  Giliett 
should  start  and  Swain  follow  in  a  short  while.  Before  Swain's  turn  came  a  runner 
rushed  in  to  say  that  the  first  car  had  been  wrecked.  The  aide  of  Giliett  followed,  him- 
self wounded,  and  reported  that  Giliett  had  been  instantly  killed  along  with  one  of  his 
patients  when  a  shell  had  burst  in  front  of  the  car.  Swain  immediately  set  out  for  the 
post.  When  near  it,  the  shelling  became  so  terrific  that  he  was  forced  to  abandon  the  car 
and  crawl  along  the  ditch  with  stretchers  to  where  the  first  car  had  been  wrecked.  A 
dressing  station  orderly  was  with  him  and  helped  with  unusual  pluck.  The  wounded  men 
were  carried  to  a  place  of  temporary  safety  and  later  brought  into  Beaumont.  The 
body  of  Giliett  was  cared  for  there  for  us  by  Lieutenant  Comfort,  in  charge  of  the  station. 


[331 


The  members  of  the  section  were  greatly  upset  by  this  loss.  Gillett  had  been 
one  of  the  best  liked  men  in  the  whole  group,  and  everyone  felt  personally  the  gap  that 
had  been  made  in  our  ranks.  This  feeling  was  shared  by  the  102nd  Ambulance  Company 
with  whom  we  were  working,  and  they  sent  us  a  note  of  sympathy  that  meant  much  in 
cementing  our  already  strong  friendship  for  them- 

The  funeral  was  held  on  the  afternoon  of  June  20th.  The  section,  with  the 
102nd  Ambulance  Company  as  the  guard  of  honor,  marched  at  half  step  while  an  am- 
bulance bore  the  body  to  the  military  cemetery  at  Menil  la  Tour.  The  Episcopal  ser- 
vice and  the  fired  salutes  were  the  last  visible  homage  to  Tod  Gillett.  But  we  have 
never  lost  our  own  memory  of  him  and  feel  no  gathering  complete  without  a  silent  trib- 
ute to  his  name.  A  Distinguished  Service  Cross  was  sent  to  Gillett's  parents  a  little  later 
as  a  proof  of  his  bravery  and  devotion.  Swain  also  was  similarly  recognized  for  his  cour- 
age. 

It  was  very  soon  after  the  death  of  Gillett  that  the  26th  division  left  the  Tou! 
sector.  We  were  transferred  to  the  incoming  82nd  division  to  carry  on  our  work  as  be- 
fore. Several  new  posts  were  added  and  twelve  men  from  the  307th  sanitary  train  were 
temporarily  attached  to  us.  Our  new  posts  took  in 
Noviant  and  some  posts  up  in  the  hills  on  the  right 
of  the  sector  to  which  winding  roads  led  through 
ravines  and  along  the  base  of  ridges  well  protected 
from  the  enemy  fire-  The  work  here,  at  St.  Jacques 
and  St.  Quen,  was  always  very  light. 

We  missed  the  boys  of  the  102nd  Ambulance 
Company  but  made  new  friends  among  the  medical 
corps  of  the  new  division.  The  26th  Division  had 
given  us  a  citation  for  those  men  in  the  work  at 
Seichprey.  We  appreciated  this  as  evidence  of  what 
we  already  knew,  that  every  one  had  done  his  best  in 
a  new  and  trying  place  and  had  acted  worthy  of  what 
we  all  felt  to  be  the  honor  of  the  section. 

We  were  familiar  with  our  posts  and  we  had 
come  to  take  our  life  in  a  ve  y  matter  of  fact  way. 
There  were  a  few  men  who  imagined  for  a  time  that 
a  "box  barrage"  was  always  prepared  for  their  bene- 
fit, but  most  saw  things  simply  as  a  dictation  of  chance. 
To  come  and  go  on  post  was  our  little  job.     Once  it  Thc  9mve  at  UenU  la  Tour 

was  over  and  we  came  in  for  our  repos  at  Lagney  we  forgot  wounded  and  shells  and 
threw  ourselves  into  our  camp  life  with  a  zest  that  meant  lively  soccer  games  and  a  sur- 
plus of  fun  in  whatever  we  undertook. 

Some  French  troops  were  stationed  for  a  few  weeks  at  Beaumont.  With  them 
we  renewed  the  volunteer  days.  French  also  garrisoned  the  defences  behind  us  which 
matched  the  stronghold  of  Mont  Sec.  Them  and  their  compatriots  we  determined  to 
remind  of  America's  great  holiday  in  royal  fashion.  We  armed  ourselves  with  a 
camionette  full  of  wine  and  piled  into  the  truck  for  the  trip  up  the  hill  to  the  field  on 
which  we  had  scheduled  a  soccer  game  with  a  French  team.  The  game  was  a  good  one. 
We  won  by  a  score  of  four  goals  to  one  and  had  to  hustle  every  minute  to  do  it.  After  the 
game  French  and  Americans  drank  to  the  success  and  happiness  of  each  other's  native 
land  and  their  own  continued  friendship.  Harris  led  the  celebration  as  usual  but  was 
pressed  pretty  hard  for  the  honors  by  all.  The  return  down  the  hill  was  marred  unfor- 
tunately by  an  accident-  Four  of  the  boys  were  sitting  on  the  tail  gate  of  the  truck  when 
the  chain  holding  it  broke  as  we  were  making  high  speed  on  the  down  grade.     The  men 


[34] 


i   i    ilium— wn 


'Make  him  drink  it" 


The  Soccer  Team 
The  Field  Clerk 


The  July  4th  Celebration 


were  dropped  into  the 
road  and  cut  badly  about 
the  head,  when  they 
struck.  Gaynor  and 
Willard  were  hurt  but 
slightly  while  Snader 
and  one  of  the  men  at- 
tached to  us  were  injured 
so  seriously  that  we  took 
them  to  the  field  hospital 
at  Sebastopol,  not  far 
from  Menil  la  Tour. 
Here  they  recovered  easi- 
ly, Snader  in  a  few  days. 
On  July  9th  Sergeant 
Requisitioning  Horses  Klein     left     to     accept    a 

commission  in  the  Ambulance  Service  as  first  lieutenant.     Sergeant  McCrackin  assum- 
ed charge  until  the  leturn  of  Sergeant  Kendrick. 

The  Germans  had  lately  formed  the  habit  of  trying  to  bomb  Toul.  The  pass- 
ing of  the  planes  over  Lagney  on  clear  nights  necessitated  our  using  more  care  with 
our  lights  than  before.  Lagney  itself  escaped  from  the  menace  although  stray  bombs 
hit  in  remote  spots. 

On  the  front  our  work  was  little  varied.  The  new  division  was  a  little  slow 
in  breaking  in  and  the  drivers  found  some  trouble  with  overzealous  guards.  The  habit 
of  a  guard  to  challenge  from  the  dark  roadside,  coupled  with  the  noise  of  our  motors, 
left  us  unable  to  account  for  ourselves  quickly  enough.  Kerr  narrowly  escaped  death 
when  a  guard  fired  at  his  car  since  it  failed  to  stop  at  the  command.  But  the  newness 
wore  off  and  the  division  soon  rounded  into  extremely  creditable  shape. 

Impromptu  parties  after  supper  had  become  the  customary  thing.  Two  of  the 
cafes  drew  most  of  the  section's  patronage  and  were  the  cause  of  many  odd  episodes 
which  lent  a  touch  of  humor  to  our  life.  The  "Vampire's"  was  an  unusual  place,  equip- 
ped with  a  windowless  room  in  the  center  of  the  house  that  hid  numerous  suspicious  gath- 
erings. The  "Louse  House,"  possibly  vulgarly,  yet  well  named,  was  nearer  our  billet. 
For  a  time  we  took  almost  personal  interest  in  this  family-  A  little  laxity  in  the  clothing 
line  brought  a  contribution,  and  some  of  the  boys  made  brave  attempts  to  overlook 
other  failings.  But  there  proved  to  be  too  much  to  forgive  and  we  brought  out  a 
"declaration  of  war"  on  the  "buzzard"  and  his  whole  clan  which  Cook  Woodell  ener- 
getically carried  out. 

Little  John,  a  French  orphan  cared  for  at  the  school,  was  of  an  entirely  differ- 
ent sort.  He  was  a  likeable  boy  and  made  a  friend  of  us  all.  We  really  missed  him  when 
he  had  to  leave  to  visit  relatives. 

Incidental  to  hot  weather  and  the  village,  we  mustn't  forget  the  fire  in  the  school 
at  Lagney.  How  the  thing  started  or  what  caused  us  to  notice  it  is  forgotten,  but  the 
firemen  of  the  section  turned  out  quickly  to  do  the  blaze  up  in  proper  style.  They  found 
the  Lagney  department  right  on  the  job.  Roland  always  was  a  good  worker.  Together 
the  compatriots  soon  had  the  fire  under  control.  The  section  boys  were  about  to  finish 
up  matters.  But  not  for  Roland.  He  wouldn't  do  a  bit  more  until  the  occupants  of  the 
house  refreshed  the  workers  properly.  That  done,  more  fire  fighting  until  the  last  trace 
of  the  blaze  had  disappeared. 

On  July  11th  we  saw  a  little  by-play  when  the  French  military  authorities  re- 
quisitioned more  farm  horses  for  the  army.  The  people  brought  their  horses  from  the 
surrounding  district  to  be  passed  upon.  The  animals  were  trotted  up  and  down  in  front 
of  our  billet  and  then  those  capable  were  told  off  for  service.    Quite  a  civilian  crowd  gath- 


[36] 


ered.  But  we  saw  the  town  at  better  advantage  a  little  later  when  some  French  moving 
pictures  were  thrown  on  a  screen  hung  across  an  alley  near  the  mayor's  house-  The 
people,  soldiers  and  civilians,  sat  on  doorsteps,  on  the  ground,  or  on  benches  placed  even 
in  the  street,  and  were  oblivious  to  their  surroundings  for  over  an  hour.  Such  is  a  touch 
of  France,  just  behind  the  front. 

The  French  Independence  Day,  July  14th,  saw  another  soccer  game  with  a 
French  team.  We  won  once  more,  2  to  1.  We  had  developed  some  stars  and  welcomed 
a  match  with  all  comers.  In  the  evening  the  entire  section  attended  an  entertainment 
in  an  abandoned  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut,  just  down  the  hill,  by  some  American  entertainers  from 
Toul.  Our  Lieutenant  had  arranged  this  for  the  section  and  the  few  Americans  in  the 
vicinity.  The  singing  was  very  good  and  a  novelty  for  us  at  that  time.  We  brought  the 
piano  back  to  the  billet  after  the  entertainment  and  sang  and  danced  in  the  road  well 
into  the  night  to  good  old  American  tunes.  The  next  day  we  took  the  piano  from  the 
truck  and  put  it  into  the  stable,  a  corner  of  which  we  had  cleaned  up  for  a  music  room. 
Here  McGuire  and  Gaynor  brought  their  stringed  instruments  and  led  the  crowd  in  the 
old  pieces,  Rosen  acting  as  impromptu  accompanist  on  the  piano. 

We  were  having  a  genuine  picnic  now  and  tried  several  original  stunts  to  liven 
up  things.  Snader  and  Harris  had  returned  from  the  first  permission  of  the  section  and 
Willard  and  Fraser  had  left  for  Cannes  and  Nice  in  their  turn.  Snader  and  Harris 
came  back  broke,  which  is  really  why  they  came  back  earlier  than  necessary — and  we  felt 
natural  again.  A  section  paper,  only  of  one  sheet  and  typewritten,  but  full  of  clever 
humor  and  hits,  appeared,  placarded  on  the  side  of  the  kitchen  trailer-  Smith,  the  sec- 
tion's versatile  clerk,  McGuire,  and  Harris  were  the  sponsors  for  it.  Its  extras  always 
brought  the  boys  out  in  force,  especially  on  the  days  that  Snader  and  Woodell  were  rivals 
for  the  baseball  championship. 

Soccer  had  given  way  to  baseball  when  Cook  Woodell  had  praised  his  pitching 
arm  in  the  hearing  of  Horn  Snader,  a  veteran  of  diamond  tactics.  Of  course  two  teams 
were  chosen  and  the  feud  was  settled  with  bats.  Snader  obtained  the  first  blood  but  the 
shifts  on  post  gave  Woodell  the  desired  chance  and  his  team  retaliated  with  victories. 
The  games  were  featured  by  much  keen  playing  and  less  keen  umpiring.  When  Carey 
umpired  the  player  who  shouted  the  loudest  got  the  decision.  With  McGuire  and  Smith 
we  had  a  judicious  adjustment  of  poor  decisions  which  left  both  teams  well  suited.  A 
section  team  was  evolved  from  these  contests  which  gave  a  good  account  of  itself  in  a 
game  played  with  some  American  engineers  just  before  we  left  the  sector.  We  lost  the 
game,  3-2,  due  particularly  to  the  pitching  of  Lieutenant  Crowell,  once  with  the  Philadel- 
phia Athletics,  for  the  winners.  Yet  we  played  better  than  usual,  especially  McEnness, 
who  outdid  his  former  efforts  in  the  pitcher's  box. 

Our  Toul  experiences  closed  with  another  rush  of  work  occasioned  by  a  Ger- 
man gas  attack  launched  against  the  89th  division  which  had  come  in  to  relieve  the 
82nd.  We  were  to  move  with  the  82nd  but  volunteered  to  help  the  89th  in  the  plight 
which  unexpected  casualties  and  a  dearth  of  ambulances  left  them.  On  the  morning  of 
August  4th  the  82nd  made  a  successful  raid  against  the  Germans  at  Flirey.  Our  cars 
put  in  many  trips  but  handled  the  work  easily.  The  division  gave  way  to  the  89th  dur- 
ing the  next  few  days  and  only  a  few  of  the  medical  corps  were  left  on  the  grounds 
when  the  Germans  retaliated  with  a  heavy  gas  bombardment  on  the  morning  of  August 
8th.  The  new  division  suffered  about  1000  casualties  that  morning.  We  had  two  mem- 
bers gassed,  Soles  and  Shusko,  who  worked  splendidly  at  the  quarry  post.  They  had 
worn  their  masks  from  10  p-  m.  to  6  a.  m.,  but  had  been  unable  to  escape  the  fumes  and 
still  carry  the  wounded. 

Our  cars  were  pressed  into  service  and  we  brought  hundreds  of  cases  from 
the  quarry  and  Conde.  Lieutenant  Smith  personally  installed  an  emergency  aid  station  for 
the  men  on  the  Conde  road  near  the  old  Conde  post  and  directed  our  hurried  evacua- 
tion of  the  gassed  cases.    The  men  were  laid  on  the  ground  in  rows.    A  heavy  mist  alone 

[37] 


saved  many  lives  as  a  view  of  the  post,  possible  on  ordinary  days,  would  have  made  it 
impossible  for  the  aid  station  to  care  for  the  men.  We  thought  our  work  at  an  end  when 
we  had  taken  the  patients  to  the  field  hospital.  However,  we  were  again  called  upon  and 
helped  evacuate  the  field  hospital  to  the  base  hospital  at  Toul.  Those  who  still  had  lights 
were  able  to  use  them  when  we  reached  Menil  la  Tour  on  the  road  towards  Toul.  We 
made  good  time,  yet  were  unable  to  finish  before  5  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  August  9th. 
Every  man  was  put  on  a  car.  Lights,  good  for  the  driver,  meant  blindness  for  the  man 
without  them.  Several  accidents  were  just  missed  from  this  cause,  on  a  load  full  of  hur- 
rying ambulances.  Smith,  away  from  a  car  for  some  time  by  reason  of  his  woik  as 
section  clerk,  essayed  a  "come  back"  as  a  driver,  and  got  along  finely  until  he  became 
stalled  by  one  of  the  railroad  tracks  used  to  bring  up  military  supplies.  But  he  came 
out  of  his  predicament  with  the  sunender  of  only  one  tool  box  to  a  dummy  engine  and 
brought  his  load  in  safely.  No  other  of  our  ambulances  was  damaged  although  several 
of  the  G.  M.  C.'s  were  wrecked  during  the  night. 

By  2.30  in  the  afternoon  we  were  on  our  way  to  Nancy  where  we  reported  to  a 
French  Caserne  for  a  billet,  to  await  the  destination  of  the  82nd  division. 

We  left  in  a  happy  frame  of  mind.  We  had  seen  seivice,  had  found  ourselves, 
and  were  content  with  the  changes  which  military  transfers  had  brought  the  section. 
Though  we  mourned  the  loss  of  a  comrade  we  knew  that  we  had  fared  very  fortunately 
in  our  work.     So  we  left  the  past  and  resolutely  faced  the  new  fields,  yet  unknown. 


Moving  day  at  Lagncy 


[38] 


CHAPTER  IV 

PONT-A-MOUSSON 


T  was  very  difficult  for  us  to  realize  that  the  city  of  Nancy  was  only 
fifteen  miles  from  the  front  line.  Her  streets  were  crowded  with 
prosperous  looking  people,  her  cafes  were  the  scenes  of  afternoon 
gatherings  which  challenged  the  nearness  of  the  German.  Even 
the  stores  were  putting  up  a  brave  appearance  as  if  to  belie  the 
presence  of  war. 

The  Germans  had  failed  to  take  Nancy  during  their  great 
onslaught  in  September,  1914.  This  explained  the  city's  apparent 
prosperity  and  the  size  of  the  population.  The  one  fear  was  of 
air  raids.  A  clear  night  almost  invariably  brought  the  vultures  from  Metz  and  sent  the 
people  into  the  abris  which  had  become  a  necessary  addition  to  every  house.  Spacious 
abris  erected  in  the  center  of  the  city,  in  that  part  sure  to  suffer  at  every  attempt  to 
destroy  the  railroad  station,  were  the  refuge  of  those  found  on  the  streets  when  danger 
came  with  unusual  suddenness- 

Our  home  was  in  a  wooden  barrack  in  one  of  the  Casernes  of  the  city.  Nancy 
had  been  a  mobilization  center  and  could  accommodate  -30,000  troops  easily.  The  Cas- 
ernes were  similar,  each  a  group  of  stone  barracks  with  a  parade  ground  in  the  center. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival  was  util- 
ized in  the  washing  of  the  cars.  A  hose  in 
the  French  and  American  Park  opposite  our 
own  Caserne  permitted  us  to  finish  this  task 
in  short  order.  A  few  loafed  then,  but  most 
of  us  began  a  tour  of  the  city.  The  first  stop 
was,  quite  naturally,  at  the  convenient  swim- 
ming pool  in  that  end  of  the  city  where  warm 
sulphur  shower  baths  and  a  pool  of  good 
proportions  could  be  found.  Some  of  us  vis- 
ited this  building  daily  during  our  stay  in 
Nancy.  It  filled  a  need  which  life  at  the  front 
poorly  provided  for. 


In  the  Park  at  Nancy 


The  work  of  a  bomb 


[39] 


it  MARBACH- 
- SECTOR. 

J :  Kilometers. 


The  cafes,  stores,  and  the  parks,  especially  about  the  Place  Stanislas,  helped  to 
make  the  time  pass  quickly.  The  section  was  given  freedom  to  go  and  come  and  took 
no  advantage  of  the  liberty.  It  became  the  custom  for  the  men  to  have  supper  at  some 
restaurant  in  the  city,  but  nearly  everyone  was  at  the  barrack  in  time  to  stage  the  motley 
procession  across  the  yard  to  the  cellar  of  one  of  the  stone  barracks  which  we  used  as  an 
abri.  Sometimes  the  Germans  were  late  and  we  had  to  roll  out  of  our  blankets  to  seek 
shelter.  This  proved  to  be  a  strain  on  our  good  humor,  but  we  reinforced  it  with  music 
and  jokes  to  the  accompaniment  of  dropping  bombs  in  near  and  distant  parts  of  the 
city.  Often  a  few  stragglers  shared  a  downtown  abri  with  its  owner  and  found  com- 
fort, almost  luxury,  in  many  of  these  cellars. 

Whether  there  were  raids  or  not  every  day  saw  the  section  on  the  job,  enjoying 
a  good  repos.  Several  baseball  games  on  the  parade  ground  limbered  us  up  and  furnish- 
ed keen  rivalry.  A  first  and  second  team  battled  for  honors,  led  by  Swain  and  Snader. 
The  first  team  always  won-  This  always  made  the  second  team  play  the  harder  and  kept 
us  in  good  shape,  in  lieu  of  any  active  work. 

We  were  ready  for  the  worst,  sup- 
posedly a  place  in  the  drive,  when  we 
received  orders  to  follow  the  82nd  Divi- 
sion. We  brought  up  at  Pont  a  Mousson. 
While  this  was  a  disappointment  for  the 
time  being,  events  made  it  work  out 
satisfactorily. 

On  August  16th  we  left  for  Millery, 
a  little  town  half  way  between  Nancy 
and  the  lines.  Here  we  made  our  head- 
quarters. At  first  we  were  assigned  to 
an  old  barrack,  barely  off  the  dusty  main 
road,  which  was  used  as  a  motion  pic- 
ture theatre.  We  played  the  host  our- 
selves on  our  third  night  there  and  en- 
tertained our  fellow  Americans  on  beds 
and  stretchers  while  flickering  pictures 
jumped  across  the  screen. 

Three  days  in  this  barrack  sent  us 
into  another,  on  the  hillside  just  outside 
of  the  town.  Here  we  carefully  cleaned 
the  straw  and  dirt  from  the  floor  and 
the  double-decked  beds  and  remained  settled  for  five  days.  But  another  unit  needed  our 
home  and  we  were  given  two  garret  rooms  in  a  house  to  live  in.  Our  view  gave  us  the 
Moselle  river,  hills  stretching  towards  the  old  Toul  sector,  and  at  our  feet  a  pretty  flower 
garden  which  had  been  cultivated  carefully  by  the  pleasant  French  family  whose  house  we 
shared.  The  other  view  was  the  courtyard,  of  which  our  home  formed  one  side  A  man- 
ure pile  was  the  chief  ornament,  with  a  sufficiency  of  mud  and  slime  always  under  foot 
But  we  had  a  suitable  parking  place  for  the  cars,  behind  the  barns  and  enclosed  by  a 
wall,  and  plenty  of  running  water  to  wash  in.  A  shed  near  the  cars  furnished  shelter 
for  a  garage  on  the  ground  floor  and  an  open  air  sleeping  apartment  above.  There  was 
consequently,  little  excuse  for  a  kick.  So  we  set  up  our  beds  and  settled  into  another 
routine. 

Troops  from  the  82nd  Division  filled  all  available  billets,  the  307th  sanitary 
train  being  our  neighbors  just  across  the  front  yard.  They  supplied  the  personnel  for 
the  aid  stations  and  for  the  rear  evacuation  work.     We,  of  course,  confined  ourselves 


[41] 


A  camouflaged  road  near  Pont  a  Mousson 

to  the  front  line  and  brought  the  sick  and  wounded  to  two  field  hospitals,  one  on  the  edge 
of  Millery,  the  other  at  Dieulouard,  just  across  and  further  up  the  river.  Larger  cars 
took  the  cases  to  the  rear. 

The  posts  in  this  sector  were  a  treat  compared  to  the  ones  we  had  just  left.  Pont 
a  Mousson,  the  town  nearest  to  the  line,  lay  on  either  side  of  the  Moselle  river  and  had  only 
been  vacated  recently  by  civilians  for  a  drive  expected  at  St.  Mihiel.  Our  first  men  on  post 
found  plenty  of  fruit  and  vegetables  in  the  gardens  which  the  thrifty  French  had  cared 
for  religiously  despite  the  nearness  of  the  trenches.  Only  a  few  houses  on  the  right  hand 
side  of  the  river  had  been  damaged  by  shelling.  Many  were  the  beautiful  houses  of 
wealthy  French  citizens  and  seemed  to  be  in  good  condition.  The  business  part  of  the 
city  was  apparently  on  the  left  side  of  the  river.  Here  there  had  been  more  destruction, 
particularly  about  a  chateau  which  we  used  as  quarters  for  the  car  on  post.  A  bridge, 
supposedly  mined,  connected  the  two  parts  of  the  city. 

The  front  line  was  about  a  mile  outside  the  town.  There  was  a  broad  No 
Man's  Land  and  a  break  in  the  usual  trench  system.  Machine  guns  commanded  all 
approaches  and  left  the  Germans  little  ambition  to  storm  the  town.  A  successful  at- 
tempt would  have  brought  them  under  the  guns  of  the  Allies  who  held  the  hills  behind. 
The  topography  of  the  country  is  such  that  steep  hills,  deep  ravines,  and  forests  warranted 
both  armies  in  keeping  the  positions  unchanged  from  the  early  days  of  the  war-  So  the 
boys  found  little  to  do  upon  post,  lived  as  kings  in  deserted  houses,  and  enjoyed  life. 

We  had  other  posts.  One  was  at  Loisy,  a  billet  town  between  Millery  and  Pont 
a  Mousson.  The  others  were  in  the  Bois  de  Jure  which  lay  to  the  right  of  and  behind 
Pont  a  Mousson.  Here  there  were  three  aid  stations.  Woods  3  had  a  fair  dugout  but 
the  approaches  to  it  were  over  poor  and  indirect  roads.  Woods  1  had  an  imperfect 
dugout  while  Woods  2  had  none  at  all.  The  cars  posted  in  these  woods  made  few  trips 
and  found  the  principal  danger  to  be  from  gas.  A  few  shells  screamed  over  the  Woods  3 
dugout  and  into  hollow,  reverberating  echoes  beyond.  Preparations  to  expel  expected 
raids  sent  a  little  excitement  on  occasion,  while  Johnny  Taylor  and  Kirkpatrick  found 


[42] 


One  of  the  Pets 


novelty  when  they  drove  their  cars  under  armed 
escort  at  early  dawn  to  the  edge  of  the  trenches 
for  wounded. 

Our  cars  made  route  trips  for  a  time  to 
several  of  the  billet  towns  that  top  the  hills  over- 
looking the  country  to  the  edge  of  Metz  itself. 
One  observation  post  gave  an  easy  view  of  Metz 
to  the  naked  eye. 

This  was  the  routine  which  we  took  up. 
There  was  little  to  jar  the  usual.  We  dabbled  a 
little  in  the  theory  of  our  work,  which  theory  we 
could  never  practice,  when  Lieutenant  David 
Smith  lectured  upon  the  application  of  first  aid.  We  enjoyed  these  talks,  especially  those 
that  permitted  Lieutenant  Smith  to  branch  out  and  develop  his  own  personality.  He  came 
into  close  touch  with  the  section  and  acted  as  our  commander  on  several  occasions  when 
our  own  Lieutenant  Smith  was  forced  to  be  absent- 

The  almost  nightly  passing  of  the  Germans  on  the  way  to  bomb  Nancy  brought 
uneasiness  but  usually  no  physical  harm  to  Millery.  August  26th  was  the  one  exception. 
For  some  unknown  reason  the  Germans  let  loose  upon  the  town  that  night.  Bombs  struck 
near  our  second  billet  just  outside  the  town,  and  one  hit  on  the  edge  of  a  street,  tearing 
out  the  front  of  a  home  and  killing  or  injuring  several  women.  The  raid  had  sent  us  to 
the  cellar  as  a  wise  precaution  but  the  news  of  the  tragedy  brought  one  car  immediately 
to  carry  the  victims  to  the  nearest  medical  aid. 

On  the  30th  Sergeant  Kendrick  returned  from  the  sergeant's  school  at  Meaux 
and  assumed  the  top  sergeantcy  of  the  section.  He  and  Sergeant  McCrackin  formed  an 
ideal  pair  that  lent  the  proper  efficiency  and  enthusiasm  to  get  us  into  shape  for  the  ex- 
pected American  drive  at  St.  Mihiel. 

We  were  interested  in  this  effort.  We  knew  the  country  to  be  fought  over  and 
realized  that  a  large  force  could  succeed  by  a  circling  movement  where  a  small  force 
would  certainly  fail  in  a  frontal  attack.  The  French  had  tried  the  latter  since  they  had 
not  possessed  the  men  for  the  former  and  had  lost.  The  Americans  had  the  men  and  won 
easily. 

The  American  barrage  broke  loose  at  1.10  on  the  morning  of  September  12th. 
The  quiet  hills  awoke  from  their  four  year  sleep  and  the  German  strongholds  were  bat- 
tered along  the  entire  St.  Mihiel  salient.  The  part  to  be  played  by  the  82nd  division  was 
unknown  but  we  took 
our  cars  up  to  Pont  a 
Mons,  nearer  to  the  lines. 
as  a  reserve  and  a  pre- 
cautionary measure.  The 
men  on  the  Pont  a  Mous- 
son  post  e  n  c  o  u  n  t  ered 
heavier  shelling  than 
usual  on  the  roads  lead- 
ing out  of  the  town. 
But  the  work  in  general 
was  increased  but  slight- 
ly for  the  first  two  days 
of  the  attack. 

By  the  15th  the  divi- 
sion    had     advanced     be-  Swimming  in  the  Moselle 


[43] 


The  goat 


yond  the  town  of  Norroy  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Moselle.  A  hurry  call  for  assistance  to  two  of  our 
cars  already  working  this  post  brought  the  entire 
section  to  Norroy  during  the  night.  By  the  early 
morning  of  the  16th  the  wounded  had  all  been 
evacuated  from  the  town  and  been  taken  to  an  ad- 
vanced dressing  station  but  a  short  distance  from 
Pont  a  Mousson.  These  were  mostly  gas  cases  and 
the  men  were  in  frightful  condition.  Our  own 
part  of  the  work  went  very  smoothly.  Lieuten- 
ant Smith  was  on  the  ground  in  person  and 
worked  the  entire  night  in  direction  of  the  evacua- 
tion. We  were  forced  to  use  the  back  road  to 
Norroy  since  the  main  road  was  impassable  and 
under  too  direct  observation.  Here  we  found  nar- 
row temporary  bridges  over  mine  craters  and 
scarcely  filled  in  shell  holes  to  contend  with  dur- 
ing the  night.  The  old  No  Man's  Land  lay  silent 
in  the  starlight.  Trenches  and  shell  holes  appeared 
out  of  the  blackness  as  grim  reminders  of  the  life 
of  the  past  four  years  and  of  the  fighting  of  the  few  days  before.  Teams,  carrying  muni- 
tions and  food,  wound  their  way  slowly  up  the  road,  only  to  become  stalled  under  the  hill 
on  whose  top  Norroy  stood  out,  drawn  clearly  against  the  sky.  As  a  crater  blocked  most 
of  the  road  and  only  slow  progress  could  be  made  through  a  hole  which  had  been  knocked 
in  a  wall  to  gain  entrance  to  the  town,  caisson  after  caisson  was  stopped  and  our  cars 
were  held  up.  So  we  listened  to  the  crash  of  the  shells  in  the  town  ahead  of  us  or  to 
their  whine  overhead,  and  waited  for  the  way  to  be  cleared-  At  first  we  attempted  to 
bring  men  from  the  town  by  hand,  the  two  dressing  station  officers,  piloted  by  Astlett,  lead- 
ing. This  was  slow  work  and  we  abandoned  it  in  favor  of  a  little  extra  persuasion  which 
finally  cleared  the  way  and  left  us  fairly  free  to  finish  the  evacuation  of  the  wounded. 
Gas  masks  were  put  on  once  or  twice  but  gas  gave  us  no  real  handicap,  and  we  finished 
the  night  without  mishap. 

This  was  our  first  opportunity  for  real  souvenirs.  The  relic  hunters  came  out  in 
force  and  we  collected  many  spoils,  chiefly  a  German  goat,  over  whom  Sergeant  Kendrick 
went  into  ecstasy  at  the  addition  of  a  mascot.  Closer  acquaintance  with  the  animal  un- 
earthed "dumbness"  and  other  disgusting  habits  which  finally  drove  her  back  into  the 
cold  world  again. 

After  the  enforced  activity  of  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  quiet  settled  down,  almost  an 
oppressive  quiet,  which  left  us  very  little  to  do.  Orders  to  prepare  to  move  came  in  very 
soon,  however,  and  we  became  busy  with  the  preparation  of  the  cars  for  a  long  trip. 
The  duty  done,  warm  weather  suggested  sports  which  brought  back  baseball  and  swim- 
ming for  the  hot  afternoons.  A  swimming  hole  in  the  Moselle  drew  the  boys  almost  every 
day  and  baseball  games  inaugurated  the  first  and  second  team  rivalry  which  war  had 
temporarily  banished.  Snader  lost  to  Swain  as  usual,  9-6,  but  the  "master"  gave  the 
first  team  a  tussle,  especially  in  the  art  of  umpire  baiting  that  almost  created  real  feel- 
ing in  the  sporting  circles.  Our  inability  to  become  suited  with  the  arbiter  whom  fate 
invariably  selected,  gave  a  revival  to  soccer  which  resulted  in  a  game  with  a  French 
team,  recruited  from  the  French  division  which  had  relieved  the  82nd.  We  won,  2-0, 
and  were  particularly  elated  as  this  same  French  team  had  beaten  a  team  from  the  328th 
infantry  the  previous  day. 

On  the  day  after  the  soccer  game,  the  24th  of  September,  we  moved  out  of  Mil- 
lery.  We  were  headed  for  the  Argonne  and  stopped  a  few  days  at  the  park  in  Bar  le 
Due  to  do  a  little  necessary  repair  work  on  the  cars  and  wait  for  the  division  to  become 


[44] 


settled  in  its  new  assignment.  Our  convoy  to  Bar  le  Due  was  made  in  easy  fashion. 
We  had  a  picnic  lunch  on  the  roadside  just  outside  of  Void  where  some  beer,  brought 
hastily  from  town,  served  to  give  a  suitable  touch  to  the  meal. 

At  Bar  le  Due  we  utilized  the  empty  barrack  at  the  park  for  quarters-  They 
were  fortunately  near  our  work  but  were  extremely  cold  in  the  brisk  autumn  weather. 
Again  the  car  routine  was  gone  through.  Again  we  tried  baseball  and  again  lost.  This 
time  it  was  section  554  who  were  successful.  The  score  was  13-9  and  the  game  was  full 
of  as  many  ups  and  downs  as  the  score  suggests.  Bar  le  Due  itself  gave  opportunity 
for  a  few  dinners  and  enough  recreation  to  make  us  hate  to  leave.  On  the  26th  we 
continued  our  way  into  the  Argonne  Woods  and  billeted  at  Passavant  where  we  stayed 
until  the  82nd  Division  went  into  the  lines. 

The  division  was  held  as  an  army  reserve  for  some  little  time  and  only  very 
gradually  worked  its  way  in  behind  the  other  forces.  It  was  ready  for  an  emergency. 
That  came,  possibly  a  little  sooner  than  expected,  and  the  82nd  performed  its  last  ser- 
vice in  the  war  in  a  manner  that  would  have  reflected  the  highest  credit  on  any  division 
in  the  United  States  Army. 

The  attack  in  the  Argonne  was  begun  by  a  12-hour  barrage  which  commenced 
at  11  p.  m.,  on  September  25th.  We  knew  little  of  the  course  of  the  advance  and  had 
only  the  flashes  of  the  guns  to  prove  the  intensity  of  the  fight. 

We  lived  during  the  first  days  of  the  attack  in  the  lofts  of  different  buildings 
in  Passavant.  Part  of  the  men  were  in  the  attic  room  of  a  house,  part  in  the  loft  of  a 
barn,  and  the  rest  in  a  shed  room  over  another  little  room  in  which  we  had  set  up  our  sec- 
tion bureau.  A  few  cars  went  to  nearby  towns  where  troops  were  billeted  to  carry  in 
any  sick.  Most  of  the  men  had  little  to  do  except  loaf  on  K  P.,  and  write  long,  overdue 
letters.  We  lost  Cecilia,  the  goat,  from  our  midst  while  here  but  shed  no  tears  at  her  de- 
parture. She  had  become  too  fond  of  waking  us  with  her  bleatings  at  night  to  enhance 
her  popularity  with  the  majority. 

There  was  a  very  fortunate  addition  to  the  section  in  Sergeant  George  S.  Jack- 
son, who  filled  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  transfer  of  Sergeant  Klein  several  months  be- 
fore. Sergeant  Jackson  was  an  old  Norton-Harjes  man  and  was  known  to  several  of  the 
men.  He  was  a  hard  worker  and  assisted  considerably  in  the  difficult  task  which  our 
Argonne  activities  necessarily  created. 


Noon  Meal  near  Void 


[45] 


We  received  our  orders  to  move  forward  on  the  4th  of  October.  The  92nd  Divi- 
sion succeeded  the  82nd  in  the  town  billets  and  we  packed  up  for  the  new  field  of  work. 
There  was  a  little  difficulty  just  before  we  left  as  the  new  division  appeared  about  to 
appropriate  our  occupied  billets.  Bloodshed  was  missed  by  a  little  diplomacy  and  we 
slept  the  last  night  in  our  home  of  the  past  ten  days.  It  was  but  a  short  run  to  our 
new  billet,  a  tent  pitched  beyond  Neuvilly,  in  a  region  which  was  known  only  to  ad- 
vanced posts  before  the  advance  of  the  week  before.  It  marked  the  entrance  upon  our 
last  front  activity.  It  was  to  be  the  toughest  proposition  we  had  yet  tackled,  and  we 
were  to  come  out  of  the  tas-k  sure  of  ourselves  and  of  the  strength  of  our  section. 


[46] 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  ARGONNE 


HE  successful  issue  of  the  attack  at  St.  Mihiel  had  stamped  the 
Americans  as  capable  of  performing  a  distinctive  part  in  the  new 
operations  of  the  Allied  Armies.  To  attack  on  as  many  fronts  as 
possible  at  one  time  was  the  secret  of  victory.  The  British  in  the 
north  were  wearing  away  the  defence  at  Cambrai,  and  the  French 
were  advancing  steadily  further  south.  It  was  for  the  Americans 
to  pierce  the  Argonne  Forest  on  the  left  of  Verdun  and,  once  out 
of  the  ravines  and  woods  south  of  Grandpre,  to  cut  the  railroad 
connections  at  Mezieres  and  Sedan.  The  Argonne  Forest  had  wit- 
nessed no  heavy  fighting  since  the  early  part  of  the  war.  The  German  advance  had  se- 
cured the  upper  end  of  these  woods.  Further  progress  on  either  side  was  held  to  be 
well  nigh  impossible.  The  country  was  replete  with  natural  defences  whose  capture  would 
require  the  presence  of  troops  never  at  the  disposal  of  the  allied  commanders.  The  forc- 
ing of  the  valley  of  the  Aire  was  thus  logically  an  American  task.  We  were  a  new  army, 
we  had  almost  unlimited  resources,  and  could  well  reopen  an  hitherto  closed  theater  of 
war. 

Events  saw  the  accomplishment  of  all  that  the  most  sanguine  leader  desired. 
The  American  private  soldier,  fighting  with  a  courage  and  perseverance  equal  to  that  of 
any  poilu  of  France,  stubbornly  battled  German  machine  gunners  through  thickets  and 
over  hills  until  Grandpre  gave  the  opportunity  for  an  open  advance  that  sent  the  enemy 
into  rapid  retreat  behind  Sedan. 


- 


Where  the  Argonne  battle  began 

[47] 


*TLARGOririE 


0       1       1      3     M      S 


FROHT. 


:   Kilometers. 


Ex  pi  q  hat  ion: 

Ci  .Roads    uScd  bu 
SSU:  U47. 
•  Ot-her  roads. 
.-  River. 

jfafit^  :  Qb^>rof..\roi\\\\Y\e. 
X     :  First-aid  station 
■      :   fbsts  Where  cars 

were  stationed  . 
O      :   Po&ts  to  wKicW 
wounded  urere 
e  vacua-ted  . 
•  H    :  Hospita\s. 
SecHon-.    underlined 
-Can-ijo  in  Red. 


ibecourt 


Fute^u 


pQ»»evont>< 


arecourtX 


Firoidos 
IP  ~^, 

=»/  Yjdil-avotp 
BeauUec^^"  Ai*ti«couH 


t«rjs 


£clarr«s< 


- 


iFoucoucoui-f 


We  are  particularly  interested  in  the  fighting  between  Varennes  and  Grand- 
pre,  along  the  sides  of  the  Aire  valley.  Here  the  82nd  Division  operated  and  the  most 
desperate  fighting  took  place.  It  was  the  key  to  the  whole  advance.  On  the  left  the 
American  line  was  supported  by  the  French  beyond  Vienne-le  Chateau.  On  the  right 
the  Americans  extended  their  front  a  little  outside  of  Danvillers. 

The  attack  may  be  divided  easily  into  three  phases.  The  first  embraces  the 
initial  onslaught  which  uprooted  the  Germans  from  their  line  behind  Boureuilles  and 
drove  them  through  Varennes  to  the  sharp  slopes  and  thick  woods  that  commanded 
the  open  Aire  valley-  The  second  phase  meant  the  tedious,  grinding  process  by  which, 
inch  after  inch,  the  enemy  fell  back  from  all  his  natural  footholds  to  the  more  open 
country  beyond  the  town  of  Grandpre.  The  third  phase  saw  a  second  great  onslaught, 
almost  a  rout,  that  brought  the  Americans  to  Sedan  where  the  signing  of  the  armistice 
ended  all  fighting.    The  slow,  dogged  work  of  the  second  phase  was  the  part  of  the  82nd 

Division.  Two  of  its  regiments  entered  the  lines 
on  October  6th.  The  entire  division  was  involved 
within  two  more  days. 


EC 


Life  in  a  tent  promised  novelties  that  set  the 
men  at  work  with  a  vim.  We  were  about  half  a 
mile  beyond  Neuvilly  and  somewhat  over  a  mile 
from  Boureuilles  where  the  Germans  had  held 
their  old  front  trenches.  There  was  a  broad 
No  Man's  Land  between  these  lines  and  those 
of  the  French  which  had  been  but  a  short  distance 
from  our  camp.  The  tent  was  pitched  in  a  little 
valley  through  which  a  railroad  was  being  rapidly 
built  to  bring  up  supplies  for  transfer  to  trucks 
and  so  to  the  lines. 

We  made  elaborate  plans  to  make  ourselves 
comfortable.  The  truck  was  the  bureau,  and 
tarpaulins  were  stretched  between  convenient 
trees  as  a  covering  for  the  kitchen  and  as  an  open 
air  mess  hall.  But  our  little  picnic  ended  quickly. 
The  division  had  bivouacked  in  the  woods  back 
of  Varennes,  awaiting  the  order  to  go  into  the 
line.  The  section  sent  three  cars  on  duty  with 
these  regiments  and  followed  into  active  service 
itself  on  Monday  morning,  the  7th.  Our  dwelling 
A  cmter  was  pulled  down  and  the  convoy  started   over 

the  road  which  led  through  No  Man's  Land  to  the  crossroads  at  Varennes.  We  went 
by  the  little  villages  of  Vauquois  and  Boureuilles,  battered  for  four  years  as  front  line 
points,  and  the  gigantic  crater  holes  closing  the  main  road  and  necessitating  a  small  detour 
to  reach  our  destination.  Torn  wire  barricades,  fields  plowed  by  the  terrific  American 
barrage,  trucks  lining  the  roads,  waiting  for  the  word  to  go  on,  spelled  war  in  its  hide- 
ous physical  aspect  on  every  side. 

In  Varennes  our  tent  was  pitched  on  an  open  lot  cornering  at  a  crossroads 
on  the  edge  of  the  town.  A  few  days  later  a  field  hospital  was  set  up  in  tents  directly 
opposite.  Varennes  had  been  in  the  German  hands  for  four  years  and  will  be  remem- 
bered as  the  historic  town  in  which  Louis  XVI  was  stopped  on  his  attempted  escape  from 
Paris.  It  is  built  on  a  hillside  and  stands  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Aire  valley.  From  it 
the  main  road  leads  along  the  right  side  of  the  valley  to  Grandpre,  following  the  course 


■■''■$■<-■  " 


[49] 


'    •   " '■*-'-'  "  B— B—Ml 


•V        M"  


4premo«it 

Flcvillr 
Sommerancc 


of  the  river  yet  built  away  from  it  so  that  there  is  a  considerable  stretch  of  low  land  be- 
tween. On  the  left  of  the  valley  and  part  way  up  the  hillside  a  rough  and  less  used  road 
followed  several  small  villages  to  Chatel  Chehery,  lying  on  the  crest  of  a  sharp  hill  and 
the  scene  of  prolonged  and  bloody  fighting  during  the  advance. 

The  82nd  Division  had  sent  its  vanguard  into  the  lines  when  the  Americans 
were  fighting  desperately  to  move  forward  from  Apremont  to  Chatel  Chehery.  Some  of 
our  cars  were  called  out  on  each  side  of  the  river  on  Monday,  the  7th.  A  post  on  the  left 
was  established  at  Montblainville,  a  remnant  of  a  town,  about  a  mile  from  Verennes. 
The  cars  ran  on  into  Apremont,  about  two  miles  further,  the  next  day.  Apremont  strag- 
gled down  the  hillside  from  the  level  of  the  road  to  the  riverbank.  It  was  connected 
with  L'Esperance,  a  group  of  two  or  three  houses,  by  a  stone  bridge  which  the  Germans 
had  partially  destroyed  and  the  Americans  had  rebuilt  with  wood.  The  little  town  was 
a  heap  of  ruins  as  a  heritage  from  the  1914  fighting.  Two  buildings  only  appeared 
practically  intact.  One  was  the  station  of  the  now  defunct  railroad,  and  the  other  was  a 
stone  mill  on  the  near  side  of  the  town,  directly  below  the  road  from  Montblainville.  The 
latter  housed  our  advanced  aid  station,  and  seemed  well  protected  from  any  direct  hits  of 
the  enemy. 

The  troops  had  advanced  a  little  more  easily  up  the  right  of  the  river-  The 
country  on  this  side  also  showed  hills  raising  from  the  lowlands  but  was  comparatively 
free  from  wooded  growth.  Here  an  aid  station  was  installed  at  L'Esperance,  just  a 
short  distance  beyond  Baulny,  another  little  hillside  village.  L'Esperance  soon  chang- 
ed from  an  advanced  aid  station  to  a  dressing  station  where  the  wounded  from  our 
cars  were  transferred  to  the  larger  G.  M.  C.  ambulances  for  evacuation  to  the  field  hos- 
pital at  Varennes. 

On  both  sides  of  the  river  the  work  developed  rapidly  with  the  intensive  fight- 
ing. Chatel  Chehery  proved  to  a  town  very  difficult  to  capture  and  hold.  The  cars  on 
the  right  of  the  river  were  able  to  run  further  up  the  valley  than  on  the  left,  and  the 
men  who  drove  into  La  Forge,  a  cluster  of  battered  buildings  about  a  bridge  crossing 


ffPi 


1 

l^s^^^ 

^HHBT~    l^Bfc 

est  . . 1 ) 

V^¥ 

ySr 

Stfi^jiiy:' 

^^H 

One  of  the  American  tanks  disabled  in  the  Argonne 
[51] 


Our  home  at  Apremont 
Gathering  firewood  at  Apremont  T)ie  gasoline  supply  and  messhall  at  Apremont 


the  river  on  the  way  to  Chatel  Chehery,  could  see  the  smoke  of  the  fighting  above  them 
on  the  hills  behind  that  town.  No  one  will  ever  forget  the  calls  into  La  Forge.  The 
drive  from  L'Esperance  out  of  the  shelter  of  a  little  ravine  onto  a  high  plateau  and  then 
sharply  to  the  left  along  an  open  road  down  into  this  hole  decided  at  one  stroke  a  man's 
grit  for  front  work.  The  German  artillery  knocked  at  the  bridge  hour  after  hour 
but  the  cars  kept  up  their  work  though  the  aid  station  was  very  close  to  the  bridge. 

It  was  just  outside  of  La  Forge  that  Titchener's  car  was  blown  into  a  use- 
less wreck  a  few  seconds  after  he  had  left  it  to  go  ahead  and  make  sure  of  his  way.  It 
was  here  also  that  a  man  asked  La  Fleur  for  a  ride  and  was  killed  instantly  a  moment 
later  by  a  shell  which,  miraculously,  missed  La  Fleur  with  all  its  eclat  except  for  a 
sliver  that  meant  only  a  scratched  hand. 

There  were  two  other  posts  on  the  right  of  the  river  to  which  we  made  runs 
in  the  first  few  days  of  the  very  heavy  fighting.  A  second  road  led  into  La  Forge  from 
the  main  road.  It  was  a  better  road,  about  one  hundred  yards  above  the  first,  but  it 
took  longer  to  travel  and  was  therefore  little  used.  On  it  a  roadside  ditch  gave  a  little 
protection  for  a  lieutenant  and  his  helpers  who  did  their  best  for  the  wounded  able  to 
reach  there.  This  ditch  and  the  high  land  about  it  were  the  targets  for  German  artil- 
lery fire  during  the  fighting  about  Chatel  Chehery-  Every  trip  meant  a  series  of  thrills. 
The  main  road  and  the  plateau  between  it  and  the  river  dropped  sharply  to  the  lower 
land  beyond  this  post.  On  the  right  the  high-land  became  only  a  ravine  and  rose  again 
to  shield  Fleville,  a  town  which  the  Americans  had  sacrificed  many  men  to  capture.  On 
the  left  Pleinchamp  Farm,  lying  on  the  low  land  under  the  edge  of  the  plateau  was  a 
third  post  to  which  we  made  trips,  though  only  at  night  for  a  while,  since  the  ground 
about  Fleville  was  not  yet  sufficiently  cleared  of  the  enemy  to  warrant  exposure  of  the 
cars. 

One  particularly  memorable  trip  was  made  to  this  post  on  the  night  of  October 
9th.    A  call  came  for  four  cars  from  L'Esperance.    The  trip  was  made  without  incident, 


The  bridge  at  Apremont,  destroyed  by  the  Germans  and  rebuilt  by  the 
American  Engineers 


[53] 


despite  the  darkness,  until  the  turn  into  the  Chatel 
Chehery  road  was  reached.  Then  gas  shells  began 
to  hit  in  the  fields  on  either  side.  Three  cars  reach- 
ed the  aid  station  and  the  drivers  hurried  to  the  dug- 
out to  escape  the  gas.  But  the  fourth  car  drove  by 
the  turnoff  and  almost  around  the  curve  towards 
Fleville  before  the  driver  discovered  his  mistake  and 
swung  around  to  the  farm  and  comparative  safety. 
The  return  trip  brought  everyone  back  safely,  though 
a  little  upset  from  the  gas  fumes. 

A  similar  instance  of  becoming  lost  by  going 
by  this  turnoff  was  discovered  in  an  unusual  way. 
The  men  on  post  were  lounging  one  night  at  I'Esper- 
ance  waiting  for  their  turn  to  go  out  when  a  German 
prisoner  began  to  wax  confidential.  He  claimed 
that  while  on  advanced  sentry  duty  he  had  seen  a 
Ford  ambulance  pass  him  in  the  dark  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Fleville  and  then  i  epass  him  a  moment  later. 
He  did  not  fire.  The  story  may  be  pure  imagination 
but  we  give  a  little  credence  to  it  since  Burt  reported  having  missed  the  turn  and  hav- 
ing gone  well  towards  Fleville  before  discovering  his  mistake. 

All  this  was  a  new  life  to  us.  We  had  served  at  the  front  but  never  in  an 
advance  of  this  nature  which  meant  new  posts  every  day,  roadside  aid  stations,  and  the 
uncertainty  which  the  constant  shifting  of  lines  caused.  The  roads  were  torn  only  in  a 
few  spots  by  bursting  shells  but  the  fields  and  banks  on  either  side  were  ploughed  and 
furoughed  from  Varennes  to  the  scene  of  each  day's  fighting.  Wrecked  whippet  tanks 
lay  helplessly  where  a  German  77  had  found  them  vulnerable-  Broken  caissons,  disem- 
boweled horses,  and  the  forms  of  German  and  American  soldiers  lay  in  quiet  groups  he  e 
and  there  over  the  ground.  Near  the  lines,  bursting  shells,  excitement,  and  a  duty  in 
hand  blinded  our  eyes  to  the  wreckage.  Here,  where  the  wake  of  battle  lay  so  st'll  yet 
so  plainly  in  view,  it  became  a  trial  for  the  drivers  to  go  by  on  the  way  to  post.  The 
imagination  was  too  complete.  It  was  terrible  to  drive  time  after  time  by  a  silent 
sentinel  of  German  defeat  which  lay  so  long  on  the  muddy  roadside  near  L'Esperance. 


rying  IT. 


An  observation  ballon  ready  for  duty 


[54] 


_         „  Guns  on  Sommerance  Hood 

Open  Country  near  Sommerance 


Country  beyond  Fleville 


Death  demands  its  tribute,  whatever  the  uniform,  but,  oh,  how  we  hated  that  form.  It 
was  an  effort  to  be  indifferent  to  such  scenes.  But  we  became  so  and  carried 
forward  the  work  oblivious  to  the  death  about  us,  only  aware  of  the  living  whom  we 
could  save. 

During  all  of  these  first  days  of  the  advance  the  tent  at  Varennes  was  our 
headquarters.  Here  cars  were  brought  in  to  have  new  bands  put  in  and  other  repairs 
made.  There  were  a  few  accidents  to  the  cars,  though  really  a  very  few  considering  the 
stress  of  the  work  done.  Here  the  men  came  in  after  the  relief  from  post  and  threw 
themselves  on  cots  or  stretchers  for  what  sleep  the  little  time  afforded.  Day  after  day 
giant  French  and  American  trucks  lumbered  by  in  a  steady  stream.  Everywhere  there 
was  hustle  and  noise  among  the  ruins  of  the  little  town.  The  battle  was  being  fought 
far  up  the  valley  but  here  the  sinews  of  war  were  being  hurried  on  that  there  might 
never  be  a  shortage  to  cause  defeat. 

Our  own  life  was  rather  tame  for  we  were  too  tired  to  do  much  at  camp.  There 
was  little  except  an  occasional  shell  to  disturb  us.  These  came  at  noon  for  several 
successive  days  when  the  Germans  tried  to  break  up  the  detour  below  the  town  which 
enabled  the  convoys  to  get  around  the  crater  left  by  the  enemy  to  block  the  main  road. 
We  watched  for  the  shells  daily  and  vacated  our  quarters  regularly  until  the  bombard- 
ment ceased.  We  intended  to  be  distinctly  not  present  should  an  error  throw  some  shell 
a  little  short,  for  we  were  in  the  direct 
line  of  range.  Little  damage  was  done  Sf^j^SfcfoM  ; 
by  any  of  this  firing.  £?«ip*S^-V7"  ■  ■    jj£.**'" 

We  moved  from  Varennes  to  Apre-  ;  V  :  v   :^:sS5?' 

mont  on  the  11th.  The  advance  had 
progressed  so  well  that  it  was  necessary 
to  have  our  quarters  nearer  the  dress- 
ing stations.  The  mill,  on  the  edge  of 
Apremont,  no  longer  needed  as  a  dress- 
ing station,  was  our  home.  The  cars  '  * "■*  '■*-  ""*'  *^" 
were  parked  in  the  yard  and  the  kitchen 

was  hauled  under  the  paitial  protection  ^  -  ,  -  ^ 

afforded  by  what  was  left  of  the  roof       ^"^S^fT^      ,  \x     -^fc^i^ 
of  another  building,  probably  once  part 
of  the  mill  plant.     The  river  ran  back 

of  the  mill  and  a  dynamo  had  been  installed  and  used  by  the  Germans  to  furnish  elec- 
tricity for  their  quarters  within  a  large  radius.  Later  the  Americans  repaired  the  sys- 
tem and  utilized  it  similarly. 

We  slept  in  two  reinforced  cellars  of  the  mill,  in  a  dugout  under  the  ruins  of 
the  adjacent  building,  or  in  the  mill  itself.  Those  who  were  good  sleepers  and  liked  fresh 
air  chose  the  latter  place.  The  walls  of  the  mill  were  quite  perfect  and  two  good  rooms 
were  found  for  use  by  the  Lieutenant  and  our  Bureau.  Fireplaces  gave  heat  enough  and 
we  had  reason  to  thank  Providence  that  we  had  such  good  quarters  to  rest  in. 

It  may  have  been  this  feeling  which  led  the  section  to  adopt  a  French  orphan. 
Pictures  showed  the  lad  to  be  a  pleasant  little  boy,  and  we  are  glad  to  have  helped  some 
one. 

Meanwhile  our  aid  stations  were  being  pushed  rapidly  ahead.  A  dressing  sta- 
tion was  installed  at  Fleville  and  cars  went  forward  to  two  ditch  posts  on  the  road  to 
St.  Juvin,  or  over  the  hill  road  to  Sommerance  where  the  medical  officers  had  houses 
left  standing  in  which  to  tend  the  wounded,  though  little  protection  from  the  shelling  of 
the  town  which  slackened  only  occasionally  day  and  night  at  this  time. 


[56] 


'Horn"  and  the  camionette 


The  French  Mail  truck 


[57] 


It  took  real  grit  for  those  boys  who  made  the  first  trips  over  this  country. 
A  mine  crater  blocked  the  road  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Fleville  and  necessi- 
tated the  carrying  of  the  wounded  to  this  point  by  hand.  From  here  the  ambulances 
took  them  into  Fleville  and  from  there  to  L'Esperance.  But  this  was  slow  work  and 
the  need  was  pressing.  So  Kerr  and  then  Signor  had  their  cars  lifted  around  this 
hole  and  brought  in  the  wounded  for  the  other  cars  to  relay  to  Fleville.  Kerr  stayed 
on  the  job  for  the  entire  afternoon,  making  trip  after  trip  to  the  ditch  posts,  although 
the  enemy  artillery  pounded  the  roads  and  adjoining  fields  steadily.  Signor  drove  into 
Sommerance  for  the  wounded.  This  road  ran  up  and  down  over  little  hills,  and,  at  this 
time,  was  for  much  of  the  way  in  good  view  of  enemy  observers.  The  Germans  were 
only  a  little  beyond  Sommerance,  fighting  for  St.  Juvin.  Both  Kerr  and  Signor  escaped 
injury  very  narrowly.  Signor's  car  was  pierced  repeatedly,  and  Rorty,  Signor's  aide,  had 
the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat  cut  by  eclat.  The  three  men  performed  with  such  noticeable 
courage  that  they  were  rewarded  later  with  an  American  decoration  for  their  day's 
work. 

At  night  engineers  bridged  the  crater  and  all  the  cars  were  able  to  evacuate 
directly  from  the  ditch  and  Sommerance  stations.  It  was  in  front  of  the  aid  station  at 
Sommerance  two  days  later  than  a  spent  piece  of  shell  knocked  Kirkpatrick  unconscious 
while  he  was  loading  his  car.  He,  fortunately,  recovered  immediately  and  was  able  to 
go  on  with  his  work.  For  his  pluck  on  this  occasion  and  the  picking  up  of  several 
freshly  wounded  soldiers  while  under  shell  fire  a  little  later  he  was  awarded  the  Ameri- 
can Distinguished  Service  Cross.  Shelling  continued  to  be  frequent  on  these  roads, 
as  the  Germans  held  Grandpre  and  a  commanding  view  of  the  valley  for  some  time  after 
they  lost  St.  Juvin.  Grandpre  fell  at  last  by  repeated  attacks.  But  the  line  was  kept 
only  a  little  beyond  it  during  the  preparations  for  the  third  phase  of  the  attack  which 
threw  the  opposition  beyond  Sedan.  However,  the  fall  of  Grandpre  meant  that  the  Ger- 
mans were  out  of  the  Argonne  Woods  and  that  final  victory  was  only  a  question  of  fresh 
troops. 


Hunting  relics 


[58] 


On  the  left  of  the  river  the  towns  were  all  on  the  hills  above  the  valley.  As  the 
advance  permitted  we  worked  posts  at  Chatel  Chehery,  Cornay,  and  in  the  woods,  the 
latter  being  the  last  hill  post  before  the  terrain  dropped  to  Marcq  in  the  valley  again. 
These  roads  were  about  as  those  on  the  right  though  the  undulating  character  of  the 
country  gave  considerable  protection  to  the  cars.  The  night  trips  through  these  woods 
were  the  cause  of  many  burned  out  bands.  Hills  and  the  inky  blackness  forced  pretty 
slow  progress  mile  after  mile  to  the  post  above  Marcq,  particularly.  Our  trips  on  the 
left  of  the  river  grew  infrequent  after  the  division  was  relieved  from  its  part  of  the  line 
in  that  region.  Its  heroic  work  had  carried  the  whole  American  line  out  of  the  Ar- 
gonne  woods  but  had  left  the  division  exhausted  and  so  depleted  in  numbers  that  it 
was  unable  to  hold  the  stretch  of  front  it  had  had.  Yet  what  was  left  of  the  82nd  still 
held  on  above  St.  Juvin,  practically  by  nerves  of  steel  alone,  true  soldiers  to  the  last, 
in  a  way  that  will  ever  make  those  who  realized  their  sacrifice  proud  to  have  been  attach- 
ed to  them.  The  brown  heaps  on  the  slopes  of  Chatel  Chehery,  each  machine  gun  nest 
with  its  dead  defenders,  spelled  the  reason  for  our  pride. 

Pleinchamp  Farm  was  now  the  point  to  which  we  carried  the  wounded.  Here 
we  transferred  our  loads  to  the  G.  M.  C.'s  for  transportation  to  the  rear.  On  October  17th 
Fraser  was  hit  by  a  glancing  piece  of  eclat  in  the  yard  of  this  dressing  station.  It  was 
a  day  of  many  trips  and  nanow  escapes.  He  had  just  brought  in  his  load  of  wounded 
when  a  shell  struck  close  by  and  a  small  piece  cut  him  in  the  throat.  The  wound  was 
not  serious  and  Fraser  returned  to  the  section  soon  after  we  pulled  back  from  the  front. 

The  halting  of  the  advance  led  to  our  establishing  a  post  at  Fleville  for  the  cars 
on  duty.  From  here  runs  were  made  in  turn  to  the  ditch  post  and  to  Sommerance. 
Almost  a  routine  of  work  was  established  for  a  few  days  and  regularity  was  possible 
in  the  shifts  on  post.  This  was  a  little  upset,  however,  on  several  occasions  by  calls 
for  cars  to  assist  the  78th  Division.  They  had  wounded  stranded  in  St.  Juvin  with  in- 
adequate transportation  to  evacuate  them.  Most  of  our  extra  work  for  this  division  was 
on  the  night  of  the  15th.  Fighting  was  in  fierce  progress  at  Grandpre  the  next  town 
above,  and  shells  made  us  uncomfortable  repeatedly  at  uncertain  intervals  in  our  work. 
It  seems  miraculous  that  there  were  no  casualties  during  those  few  days. 

Fleville  was  kept  as  a  post  for  the  cars  on  duty  only  a  little  longer.  The  plac- 
ing of  heavy  artillery  behind  the  town  drew  the  German  fire  and  warranted  a  with- 
drawal of  the  post  to  Pleinchamp  Farm,  near  Chateau  Chehery,  Divisional  Headquarters. 
This  was  used  as  the  evacuation  post  during  the  rest  of  our  stay  in  the  Argonne.  The 
lines  had  now  become  practically  stationary.  Our  work  was  lighter  than  before-  A  sys- 
tem of  route  trips  was  established  and  we  were  always  in  close  touch  with  the  pressure 
of  wounded  at  the  aid  stations.  There  was  occasional  shelling  but  much  less  than  we 
had  been  accustomed  to  expect. 

As  the  fighting  slackened  aeroplane  activity  increased  in  the  effort  of  each 
side  to  learn  the  plans  of  the  other.  Solitary  German  planes  flew  daringly  well  into 
the  American  area.  They  fearlessly  attacked  American  observation  ballons  and  destroy- 
ed many  of  them.  These  attempts  always  brought  us  out  as  an  audience.  The  most 
clever  feat  was  over  our  quarters  at  Apremont.  We  were  eating  supper  when  atten- 
tion was  called  to  anti-aircraft  activity  directed  apparently  at  a  plane  high  up  and  com- 
ing directly  overhead.  When  above  us  the  plane  dropped  as  if  hit  and  shot  at  a  terrific 
speed  straight  downward.  Then,  when  it  seemed  as  if  about  to  plunge  into  the  ground, 
in  fact,  when  several  of  the  boys  had  started  for  the  spot  it  was  sure  to  hit,  the  plane 
righted  itself  and  headed  like  a  bullet  for  an  observation  ballon  nearby.  The  observers 
dropped  when  the  plane  was  upon  them  and  red  hot  incendiary  bullets  ripped  through  the 
gas  bag.  In  an  instant  flames  burst  out  and  the  blazing  mass  dropped  to  the  ground, 
yet  not  more  quickly  than  the  plane  circled  back  towards  its  own  lines.  High  explosives 
broke  around  the  aviator  but  he  disappeared  in  the  haze,  still  flying  safely.  He  was  our 
foe  but,  somehow,  we  forgave  him  for  this  exhibition. 

[59] 


However,  the  Germans  were  not  always  successful.  On  another  evening  we 
watched  an  American  plane  drive  a  German  behind  the  hill  back  of  L'Esperance  where 
the  aviator  was  later  captured.  One  German  aviator  descended  in  a  parachute  from  his 
disabled  plane  near  Sommerance.  He  was  captured  immediately  and  reached  Fleville 
much  the  worse  in  the  way  of  clothing  because  of  the  American  Doughboy's  craze  for 
souvenirs.  Scouting  planes  were  in  the  air  most  of  the  time-  Sometimes  a  group  of 
fighting  planes  met  and  there  was  a  set  to.  The  honors  were  about  even,  we  judged. 
We  could  seldom  see  the  fights  near  enough  to  decide  accurately. 

It  was  also  in  the  region  of  Sommerance  that  an  amusing  incident  occurred 
through  the  installing  of  heavy  artillery  between  the  town  and  Fleville.  The  guns  did 
not  clear  the  road  in  several  places  and  our  cars  were  held  up  occasionally  while  the  guns 
were  shelling  the  Germans  behind  Grandpre.  In  this  instance  one  car  was  stopped  by 
the  soldiers  on  guard  who  told  the  driver  to  wait  for  the  barrage.  A  little  thought 
brought  reconsideration  apparently  and  the  ambulance  was  hurried  on  with  the  admoni- 
tion, "The  barrage  is  delayed,  I  guess.  If  you  hurry  you  can  get  by  before  they  fire." 
The  driver  did  hurry,  wondering  a  little  how  it  would  feel  to  have  the  top  of  his  car 
lifted  off  by  an  outgoing  shell. 

The  last  days  of  our  front  life  were  easy  for  the  men.  Exceptions  came  once 
in  a  while  as  when  Titchener  had  the  body  of  his  car  destroyed  by  chance  shelling  at  the 
ditch.  But  the  ordinary  trips  meant  few  wounded  and  we  soon  brought  in  hardly  enough 
men  to  justify  our  time  on  post.  We  worked  on  twenty-four  hour  shifts  at  Pleinchamp. 
Every  three  or  four  hours  a  car  would  visit  every  post  and  collect  the  wounded,  report- 
ing also  the  time  for  the  next  ambulance  to  follow.  Special  calls  came  once  in  a  while. 
These  usually  sent  us  hunting  over  the  known  landscape  after  the  wounded  man.  It  was 
difficult  to  get  through  reliable  messages  owing  to  the  enforced  mixing  and  shifting  of 
troops. 

The  life  at  Apremont  to  which  we  returned  after  our  time  on  post  had  a  good 
deal  of  monotony  in  it.  Cars  were  washed  when  the  pressure  at  the  front  slackened 
and  were  put  in  the  hands  of  the  mechanics  for  repairs-  We  K.  P.'d  as  our  turns  came 
but  weren't  overworked  on  any  job.  Our  mill  home  afforded  several  pleasant  fireplaces 
and  one  room,  especially,  where  blankets  at  window  and  door  enabled  the  "hounds"  to  re- 
vive "Red  Dog"  and  poker.  Our  section-library  was  still  intact  and  there  was  plenty 
of  writing  paper  to  furnish  the  means  for  filling  idle  hours.  Enemy  planes  came  over  for 
night  raids  but  did  no  damage  near  the  mill.  Distance  shelling,  also,  hit  the  hill  above 
us  at  night  but  caused  no  annoyance. 

Lieutenant  Stiles,  the  Red  Cross  officer  for  the  division,  shared  our  billet  and 
proved  a  god-send  in  the  way  of  bringing  us  papers  from  the  outside  world  as  well  as 
furnishing  us  with  supplies  of  extra  quality. 

This  was  the  time  that  the  Turkish  and  Austrian  appeals  for  an  armistice  were 
under  consideration.  Finally  these  armistices  came.  We  were  still  skeptical  about  Ger- 
many but  knew  that  the  end  was  near.  Rumor  after  rumor  reported  the  immediate  re- 
lief of  the  82nd  Division.  It  had  done  its  bit  in  driving  the  Germans  from  the  Argonne 
thickets.  New  men  were  now  coming  in  to  furnish  the  blow  that  would  reach  Mezieres 
and  Sedan.  The  remnant  of  the  82nd  was  at  last  withdrawn  on  the  30th  and  31st  of 
October,  and  we  were  left  with  only  our  cooties  to  bother  us  for  two  days. 

The  third  phase  of  the  advance  began  with  an  attack  beyond  St.  Juvin  and 
Grandpre  on  the  morning  of  November  1st.  The  initial  resistance  of  the  enemy  soon 
gave  way  and  the  Americans  advanced  at  a  tremendous  pace  through  the  open  country 
from  Grandpre  northward.  Our  curio  hunters  were  out  and  followed  the  advance  into 
the  No  Man's  Land  of  a  few  days  before.  They  secured  plenty  of  excitement  and  good 
souvenirs  for  their  trouble. 

We  loitered  about,  awaiting  the  order  to  move-  It  came  on  the  2nd  and  we 
pulled  back  to  Les  Illettes  on  the  3rd.    The  Lieutenant  had  been  absent  on  special  duty  and 

[60] 


was  brought  back  in  the  early  hours  of  the  morning  by  all  night  work  on  the  part  of  the 
staff  car. 

The  stop  at  Les  Illettes  was  but  temporary.  Five  cars  were  sent  on  special 
duty  with  the  division  and  the  rest  of  us  went  to  Bar  le  Due  for  further  work  on  the 
cars.  The  same  barrack  as  before  was  used  as  quarters.  We  celebrated  our  return 
from  the  front  by  suppers  in  town  and  plenty  of  noise  in  the  evening.  The  next  day 
Sergeant  Kendrick  received  orders  to  report  in  Paris.  We  felt  that  to  be  his  last  night 
with  us  as  a  commission  was  thought  to  be  the  cause  of  his  summons.  So  we  let  loose 
in  a  song  fest  and  with  hilarity  that  sent  him  away  the  next  morning  with  the  keenest 
regret  over  leaving  us. 

On  the  7th  we  drove  to  Amanty  where  we  used  two  barracks  deserted  by  an 
aviation  outfit  as  quarters.  The  barracks  were  so  large  that  we  utilized  part  of  one  as 
a  mess  hall  and  lived  in  real  style  for  a  few  days.  The  five  cars  sent  out  had  returned 
and  a  few  new  cars  went  for  duty  with  the  different  infirmaries  in  neighboring  villages 
where  troops  were  quartered.  It  was  but  a  short  ride  to  Neufchateau  and  several  trips 
were  made  to  Base  Hospital  66  with  cases.  The  town  looked  familiar  and  we  found  a 
welcome  and  a  hearty  meal  in  the  kitchens  of  the  hospital  from  the  men  we  had  worked 
with  the  previous  spring.  We  forgot  the  past  and  did  our  duty  by  the  victuals  set  be- 
fore us. 

At  noon  on  the  day  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice  we  broke  camp  for  another 
town  south  of  Neufchateau.  En  route  flags  blossomed  out  as  the  rumors  of  the  armistice 
spread.  When  we  reached  our  destination,  Clefmont,  the  bells  on  churches  and  townhalls 
were  pealing  a  confirmation  of  the  end  of  the  war.  Clefmont  itself  is  on  a  hill  and  our 
billet  was  in  a  wooden  barrack  on  the  upper  edge  of  the  town,  overlooking  the  sur- 
rounding country  for  miles,  even  to  Mont  Blanc,  some  said- 

We  hustled  our  cars  into  a  line  by  the  barrack  and  began  celebrating.  Some 
of  us  helped  ring  the  bell,  others  just  rioted  with  the  civilians.  At  night  we  danced, 
drank,  and  rejoiced  in  the  different  cafes.  Nothing  was  too  good  for  us  in  the  opinion 
of  the  town.  Everyone  was  happy.  Some  of  the  people  missed  loved  ones  and  were  less 
demonstrative  in  their  joy.    Yet  their  quiet  smiles  told  the  true  feeling  underneath. 

We  remained  here  until  the  16th  when  word  came  from  our  service  headquar- 
ters to  report  at  Vaulcourt  for  orders.  This  detached  us  from  the  82nd  Division  and 
the  members  of  the  307th  Sanitary  Train  who  had  been  attached  to  us  for  several  months 
left  to  go  further  south  with  the  division.  They  had  done  good  work  and  we  hated  to 
say  goodbye. 

Our  Lieutenant  was  absent  in  Paris  and  Lieutenant  Wolf,  sent  specially,  took 
us  to  Vaulcourt  where  further  orders  sent  us  on  to  Nancy  to  report  to  the  Tenth  French 
Army  for  duty  with  the  Force  of  Occupation.  Lieutenant  Wolf  left  at  the  return  of 
Lieutenant  Smith.  Sergeant  Jackson  also  was  ordered  away  to  accept  a  commission  in 
the  Service.  This  transfer,  with  the  absence  of  Sergeant  McCrackin  at  the  Sergeants' 
School,  necessitated  the  appointment  of  three  acting  sergeants  to  assist  the  Lieutenant. 
Swain,  Snader  and  Willard  were  selected.  That  they  have  succeeded  remarkably  well, 
despite  the  lack  of  a  sergeant's  warrant,  can  perhaps  be  best  explained  by  the  volun- 
teer spirit  which  has  helped  solve  so  many  problems  in  647. 

Our  work  at  the  front  was  over  and  we  entered  an  entirely  different  life  which 
was  to  bring  us  eventually  to  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  itself.  We  left  the  82nd  Division 
proud  of  our  connection  with  it.  It  was  a  draft  division  and  the  men  had  none  of  the 
associations  which  will  make  national  guard  and  regular  army  divisions  immortal-  They 
saw  their  work  simply  as  a  task  to  be  done.  They  claimed  no  glory,  only  a  recognition  of 
service  rendered.  Yet  they  have  won  undying  praise  from  us  who  know  what  they  did 
for  their  country  and  the  fearful  sacrifices  they  made. 

[61] 


For  ourselves,  we  were  glad  that  the  war  was  ended  and  proud  that  we  had 
accomplished  the  part  in  it  assigned  to  us.  We  had  tried  to  do  our  duty  and  a  little 
more,  and  were  conscious  of  no  regrets  but  only  satifaction  for  work  performed.  The 
Argonne  will  ever  be  pleasantly  remembered  when  our  war  experiences  are  retold. 


1*2] 


CHAPTER  VI 

WITH  THE  ARMY  OF  OCCUPATION 

HE  city  of  Nancy  proved  to  be  more  entrancing  than  ever  in  its 
victory  regalia.  Quartered  in  the  same  park  as  before,  we  looked 
up  our  friends,  visited  the  places  of  rendezvous  of  the  previous 
summer,  and  investigated  every  suggestion  of  entertainment  of- 
fered by  the  awakened  city,  and  within  the  reach  of  our  depleted 
finances. 

It  was  the  period  of  reaction  from  the  war  strain  for  the 
people  of  the  city.  All  who  were  not  too  bowed  by  sorrow  gave 
vent  to  the  great  relief  which  was  given  by  quiet  nights,  unattend- 
ed by  air  raids,  the  visit  of  loved  ones,  to  be  exposed  no  more  in  battle,  and  the  prospect  of 
reconstruction  and  enlivened  business,  unhampered  by  the  threat  of  war.  It  was  also 
the  period  when  the  sacrifices  of  the  French  civilians  became  appreciated.  There  were 
the  mothers  who  were  yet  hoping  that  a  son  would  miraculously  appear  among  the  pris- 
oners thronging  into  the  city  from  the  camps  of  Germany.  There  were  the  wives, 
vainly  hoping  for  the  return  of  a  husband  to  hearten  them  for  the  rebuilding  of  their 
homes. 

Daily,  French  and  English  prisoners  staggered  in  from  the  German  borders 
and  were  cared  for  by  the  American  Commissary,  the  Red  Cross,  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
Whether  the  men  wore  khaki,  the  red  trousers  of  the  French  soldiers  in  1914,  or  the 
horizon  blue,  there  seemed  to  be  the  same  tale  of  starvation,  abuse,  and  neglect,  which 
had  culminated  in  the  wholesale  opening  of  the  prison  doors  after  the  armistice  and 
the  pathetic  attempts  of  the  weakened  soldiers  to  walk  through  to  the  nearest  French 
forces.  We  were  glad  to  help  two  British  soldiers  at  our  billet,  and  managed  to  see  them 
safely  on  the  road  to  Blighty. 

Our  own  life  was  as  trivial  as  any  repos.  We  took  more  baths,  were  equipped 
with  much  needed  clothes  by  the  local  Quartermaster,  cleaned  up  our  cars,  and  continued 
to  discover  new  joys  in  Nancy. 

The  soccer  team  was  rejuvenated  and  played  a  team  formed  from  several  clubs 
about  the  city.  We  won  once  more,  3-2,  and  the  team  was  duly  noticed  in  the  local  paper, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  some  of  the  soccer  enthusiasts. 

We  had  so  little  to  do  about  the  park  where  we  were  quartered  that  the  French 
Captain  in  charge  solicited  our  co-operation  in  making  mats  for  camion  radiators.  For- 
tunately we  received  our  moving  orders  before  disgust  at  the  job  was  given  proper 
opportunity  for  expression. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  two  days  before  Thanksgiving,  for  which  we  had 
planned  a  sumptuous  banquet,  we  were  ordered  to  proceed  with  our  cars  to  St.  Avoid, 
in  Lorraine.     We  left  early  on  the  morning  of  the  27th. 


We  made  very  good  time  until  we  reached  the  edge  of  the  old  No  Man's  Land 
where  we  ran  into  the  trucks  and  infantry  of  the  Tenth  Army  moving  forward  into 
the  new  territory.  For  awhile  our  cars  passed  the  slower  trucks  without  difficulty.  It  was 
the  narrowness  and  unevenness  of  the  road  through  No  Man's  Land  itself  which  brought 
our  first  trouble  and  forced  us  into  the  line  of  the  other  convoy.  Attempts  to  get  out 
once  more  were  prevented  by  a  block  of  the  trucks  and  the  refusal  of  the  French  traf- 
fic officer  to  permit  our  light  cars  to  run  ahead.    A  perhaps  natural  reaction,  with  the 

[63] 


peace,  to  American  methods  of  hustling  ahead  on  the  road  seemed  prevalent  among  our 
allies.  Usually  tolerant  of  such  things,  we  became  rather  exasperated  this  time  as 
the  sun  got  lower  and  we  were  still  far  from  our  goal.  However,  there  was  no  help 
for  the  delay  until  the  convoy  reached  a  fork  where  we  were  able  to  get  away  from 
the  trucks. 

There  was  but  a  little  strip  of  battered  country  on  either  side  of  the  lines  in 
this  region,  and  it  took  but  a  short  while  for  us  to  get  into  the  yet  pretty  and  prosper- 
ous Lorraine  which  had  been  the  sore  spot  for  French  and  Germans  so  long. 

It  was  10  P  M.  when  we  pulled  our  cars  up  to  the  curb  in  the  public  square 
in  St.  Avoid.  A  big  receiving  stand  was  still  decorated  with  the  flags  festooned  in 
honor  of  the  triumphal  entry  of  the  French  troops  a  few  days  before.  As  it  was  well 
towards  midnight  we  saw  little  of  the  town  itself,  and  heard  only  snatches  of  German 
conversation  to  betray  the  presence  of  curious  civilians.  We  tarried  in  the  square  just 
long  enough  to  be  officially  assigned  quarters  and  then  drove  to  a  German  Caserne 
where  we  parked  our  cars  and  cleaned  up  enough  of  the  wreckage  in  one  of  the  bar- 
racks to  give  us  room  for  putting  up  our  cots. 

The  next  morning  we  finished  cleaning  up  several  other  rooms,  and  began 
hunting  souvenirs.  This  Caserne  had  been  the  scene  of  a  riot  of  striking  Austrian  miners 
not  long  before.  A  neigh- 
boring barrack  had  been 
burned  and  the  one  we 
were  in  was  piled  high 
with  refuse  for  similar 
destruction.  The  arrival 
of  French  troops,  sum- 
moned by  the  mayor,  had 
alone   prevented    further    ^^^^^^^■^^^^^^■H 


damage  to  the  town.  The  Caserne  at  St.  Avoid 

As  we  had  brought  the  provisions  with  us  which  we  had  planned  to  use  in 
celebration  of  Thanksgiving  in  Nancy,  Horn  Snader  did  an  extra  amount  of  hustling, 
hired  the  management  of  a  cafe  in  town  to  cook  our  food  and  permit  the  use  of  their 
main  room  for  a  banquet.  Everything  connected  with  the  celebration  was  a  success. 
There  was  just  enough  food,  all  well  cooked,  and  just  the  proper  quality  of  refreshing 
beverage.  The  usually  trying  period  of  after  dinner  speechmaking  developed  an  almost 
unexpected  esprit  de  corps  and  enthusiasm  for  continuing  the  comradeship  of  the  present 
in  the  later  years.  Each  man,  from  the  polished  Don  to  the  most  halting  speaker,  did 
his  best  to  show  the  genuine  feeling  of  comaraderie  which,  sometimes  alone,  had  held  the 
section  together  so  long.  There  were  toasts  to  our  Lieutenant,  to  Lieutenant  Kendrick, 
our  old  sergeant  and  now  commanding  officer  of  Section  649,  who  was  with  us,  and  a 
silent  tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  deceased  comrade,  Tod  Gillett.  There  was  no  trace 
of  the  strained  suppression  or  hilarious  abandon  which  some  might  look  for  in  a  gath- 
ering of  private  soldiers.  We  were  different  and  we  showed  there  that  this  war  had 
created  heretofore  unconceivable  possibilities  in  the  S.  S.  U-  service,  which  we  had 
learned  how  to  grasp.     In  the  Army,  we  were  not  of  it. 

On  the  day  after  Thanksgiving  we  received  orders  to  move  to  Saarbriicken, 
just  over  the  boundary  of  Lorraine  and  in  Germany  itself.  We  made  the  most  of  pretty 
St.  Avoid  that  night,  visiting  especially  a  fete  which  the  townspeople  were  giving  in 
honor  of  the  French  liberators.  As  Americans  we  were  necessarily  outsiders  in  this 
celebration.  Yet  we  managed  to  make  ourselves  inconspicuous  and  enjoyed  what  proved 
to  be  a  very  picturesque  party. 

[65] 


In  a  large  hall,  with  room  on  one  side  and  in  the  rear  for  the  tables  of  those 
who  only  drank  and  looked  on,  the  French  soldiers  and  the  young  girls  and  women  of  the 
town  danced  the  old  folk  dances  and  marches  which  we  judged  to  have  been  in  vogue  in 
the  days  before  1870.  Everyone  was  happy.  Even  those  who  had  had  German  sym- 
pathies seemed  able  to  participate  with  the  rest.  The  Alsatian  headdress  and  costume 
of  some  of  the  women  helped  particularly  to  make  the  evening  unforgetable. 

We  left  for  Saarbriicken  on  November  30th.  It  was  not  a  long  trip  yet  the 
change  in  environment  was  very  noticeable.  In  St.  Avoid,  while  not  everyone  by  any 
means  was  an  allied  enthusiast,  there  were  enough  to  give  an  air  of  welcome.  In  the  little 
towns  nearer  the  border  French  flags  and  French  g  eetings  were  found  everywhere  and 
grownups  as  well  as  children  waved  as  we  rode  by.  In  Saarbriicken  all  was  different. 
The  children  still  shouted  but  only  because  they  were  children.  The  older  people  were 
curious  but  reserved  and  quiet.  The  only  flag  was  the  official  French  flag  on  public 
buildings.  Many  asked  questions,  some  were  talkative,  but  we  were  made  to  feel  that  we 
were  in  a  hostile  land.  From  now  on  we  began  gradually  to  search  out  the  German 
point  of  view.  We  have  taken  it  for  what  it  was  worth  and  have  not  let  it  interfere 
with  our  own,  yet  have  tried  to  appreciate  the  why  of  all  the  great  phenomena  which 
brought  these  apparently  peaceful  civilians  into  war. 

We  remained  but  one  night  in  Saarbriicken,  as,  except  for  four  cars,  we  were 
ordered  to  Bitche  the  next  day.  We  made  a  tour  of  the  town  quite  thoroughly  in  that  one 
night.  All  the  civilians  seemed  glad  that  the  war  was  over  and  apparently  desired  little 
more  than  the  opportunity  to  resume  their  pre-war  existence.  A  Belgian,  acting  as  inter- 
preter with  the  French,  discovered  several  of  us,  eager  to  buy  souvenirs.  He  proved  to 
be  a  very  valuable  guide  until  he  commenced  to  talk  war  with  an  elderly  saleswoman 
in  one  of  the  jewelry  shops.  His  resulting  tirade,  while  perhaps  well-merited,  we  were 
forced  to  quiet.  But  generally,  the  French  and  any  other  Allies  stationed  in  town,  were 
quiet  and  aloof  from  any  bickering  which  so  recent  an  armistice  might  well  be  expected 


The  section  members  awarded  the  D.  S.  C. 

to  cause  in  dealings  with  civilians.  Thi  oughout  our  stay  in  Germany  we  have  found  the 
French  behaving  everywhere  in  a  most  commendatoiy  manner  although  in  an  admit- 
tedly trying  situation. 

We  reached  Bitche  from  Saarbriicken  at  noon  on  December  1st.    It  was  a  little 
town  that  nestled  in  a  deep  valley  between  very  steep  hills  on  every  side.     The  descent 

[66] 


of  the  road  into  town  proved  a  test  for  our  brakes  that  kept  several  of  the  drivers 
pretty  uneasy  meanwhile.  Bitche  was  most  unattractive  and  we  had  little  objection  to 
another  move  which  sent  us  to  Zweibriicken  on  December  3rd-  While  at  Bitche  six 
cars  made  a  trip  to  Saarbrucken  with  some  sick  cases.  They  found  the  four  cars  that 
had  been  left  there  working  overtime  in  evacuating  to  the  city's  hospital.  The  men  on 
the  trip  remained  overnight  in  Saarbrucken  and  returned  the  next  day.  The  four  men, 
Kerr,  Kirkpatrick,  Signor,  and  Rorty,  lately  awarded  the  D.  S.  C,  left  for  Paris  at  this 
time  to  be  decorated. 

At  Zweibriicken  where  we  stayed  j  ust  long  enough  to  prepare  for  a  comfortable 
existence,  we  had  quite  wonderful  quarters.  The  men  lived  in  small  rooms,  four  or  five 
to  a  room,  each  room  clean  and  with  a  tile  stove  to  heat  it.  This  was  the  nearest  to 
Heaven  of  any  of  our  quarters  so  far  in  France  or  Germany.  It  was  with  much  im- 
potent rage  that  we  moved  on  to  Ottweiler  on  December  5th. 

Ottweiler  was  as  objectionable  as  Zweibriicken  had  been  attractive.  Our  cars 
were  parked  in  a  square  in  the  center  of  the  town.  Innumerable  meddling  children  ne- 
cessitated a  guard  day  and  night  about  the  cars.  The  town  itself  was  so  dingy  and  the 
people  appeared  so  uncertain  that  many  of  the  boys,  in  addition  to  the  guards,  went  about 
armed.  We  were  billeted  in  two  separate  groups,  one  in  two  empty  upper  rooms  over  a 
cafe,  the  other  in  a  loft  over  a  shed.  Our  kitchen  was  located  at  first  near  the  second 
billet,  but  was  later  in  a  more  sanitary  place  near  our  cars. 


We  should  have  been  most  unhappy  had  it  not  been  our  good  fortune  to  find 
two  cafes  where  we  were  hospitably  received  and  given  an  opportunity  to  write  letters 
and  read,  as  well  as  buy  drinks.  The  first  cafe  was  quite  near  our  two  billets  and  was 
owned  by  a  couple  who  had  lived  for  some  years  in  America-  They  were  very  polite  and 
considerate  to  us,  and  we,  in  turn,  respected  the  freedom  allowed  us.  After  we  moved 
the  kitchen  we  no  longer  ate  here,  but  still  continued  to  make  it  our  headquarters.  Some 
one  of  the  men  was  almost  always  either  writing  or  reading  in  the  cafe  during  the  day. 
In  the  evening  we  always  looked  in  to  talk  with  the  son  and  the  two  young  women  of 
the  house  or  dance  with  the  latter  when  a  musician  could  be  found.  One  of  the  young 
women  proved  to  be  quite  a  patriotic  little  German.  Not  a  Kaiser  zealot,  she  still  thought 
well  of  her  country  and  its  soldiers.  Here  we  got  the  first  touch  of  that  German  attitude 
which  hates  France  and, 
to  the  American  soldier, 
loves  America,  even 
though  it  admits  the 
claim  that  without  us 
France  could  not  have 
won  the  war. 

The  other  cafe  was 
near  our  cars  and  was 
run  by  a  quiet  little 
German  who  was  eager 
to  do  us  favors  and  will- 
ing that  we  should  eat 
our  meals  in  his  place  of 
business.  We  gave  him 
our  kitchen   refuse   and 


K.  P  's  about  the  kitchen 


[67] 


thought  the  bargain  a 
good  one.  There  were 
other  cafes,  mostly  visit- 
ed at  night  by  some  of 
the  bolder  spirits,  where 
the  native  element  was 
found  a  little  less  reserv- 
ed than  elsewhere.  Many 
are  the  dark  tales  that 
aiose  and  spread  around 
the  section  from  the 
nightly  prowls  about  the 
alleys  of  the  little  town. 
It  is  said  that  threaten- 
ed tragedy  was  twice 
nas  morniluJ  narrowlyaverted 

through  too  attentive  work  on  the  part  of  some  to  the  business  on  an  evening  of  other 
section  members.  Fortunately  there  was  no  real  tragedy,  and  only  fun  has  since  re- 
sulted from  those  episodes.  "Joe  Garvey"  must  indeed  reckon  his  prestige  from  those 
dark  days  of  Ottweiler. 


Christi 


There  was  no  word  of  protest  on  the  morning  of  December  13th  when  we  left 
for  Kreuznach.  The  powers  that  were  tried  out  a  new  road  which  looked  very  fine  on 
the  map  but  which  proved  to  be  a  back  road  well  gouged  out  by  the  passage  of  heavy 
camions  and  covered  with  standing  water.  But  we  had  our  luck  with  us  as  usual  and 
plowed  safely  through  the  first  of  the  trip,  to  be  rewarded  by  beautiful  cliffs  and  pic- 
turesque valleys  on  the  last  half.  We  had  reached  the  Germany  of  fable  and  could  well 
appreciate  how  one  might  love  its  beautiful  scenery. 

Kreuznach  is  a  city  of  narrow  streets  and  old  fashioned  architecture,  especi- 
ally noted  for  its  mud  baths-  Although  billeted  on  the  edge  of  the  town  in  what  had  been 
a  mill,  we  had  plenty  of  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with  the  city.  Its  apparent 
prosperity,  the  thriving  stores  that  belied  the  narrow  streets,  the  hustling  crowds,  and 
the  attractive  shops  and  cafes,  proved  a  Mecca  for  the  boys.  Joy  was  truly  kept  un- 
confined  during  our  brief  four  days  stop. 

At  noon,  on  December  17th,  we  drove  to  Mainz,  the  end  of  our  long  journey 
from  Nancy.  Burt  and  Snader  had  gone  ahead  to  pick  out  quarters  for  the  section  so 
that  our  arrival  found  the  first  floor  of  one  of  the  barracks  in  the  Caserne  Elizabeth  all 
labelled  for  our  occupation. 

The  trip  from  Kreuznach  had  been  through  particularly  pretty  country.  It 
was  at  Bingen,  "Fair  Bingen  on  the  Rhine"  that  we  first  saw  the  great  river.  We  had 
driven  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Nahe  for  some  little  distance,  crossing  it  on  the  edge 
of  Bingen  near  where  it  becomes  merged  in  the  larger  stream.  The  Rhine  is  especi- 
ally wonderful  at  Bingen.  Here  begins  that  section  of  the  river  known  to  legend.  The 
terraced  hillsides  and  sharp  crags  stand  out  against  the  sky,  making  a  picture  not  dup- 
licated anywhere.  The  road  to  Mainz  lies  nearly  parallel  to  the  river  for  some  distance, 
only  gradually  working  away  from  the  stream.  As  we  rode  along  it  truly  seemed  the 
culmination  of  our  work  in  France  when  an  auspicious  rainbow  appeared  over  the  right 
bank  of  the  Rhine  as  a  well  interpreted  sign  of  the  passage  of  war  and  its  hardships 
and  the  arrival  of  peace. 


[68] 


Bingen 
Ottweiler 


CDMV0YTRIR5  IH 

OCCUPIED 


\  TERRITORY. 

\     °        f       ,0       ,s'.  Kilometers. 


\ 


Klrberg 


ICam  berg 


RHtV 


BingCr 


Jdsteinj 

Niederhaujer 

WlESBADENf^ 
8«ebe»-»*cW  ( 

MAINS 

BretxenHeiwT 


irbetokci'vi 
Hocfcheim,/  ^^^^ 


Worrsl-adj 


KREUZNACH 


Oppcnhc\» 
Guntersblur 


Alxe>/ 


FCrr.G-erau! 

Griesheiwie 


*f 


OF?3?nb\ich 
Breieicfcknbe>< 

°n 

i 

JDARMSTAT>7 

/ 


/ 


/ 


«#> 


KirchWc'imbolande 


WOWIS! 


Explanation : 
•  OB^ta     :    To w  n  j> . 

■     *.     Border  between 
French  and  NeuCral    terr. 
— •  —  —  :     Border  between 

Neutral  and  Crerfnan   tarr. 
^""»  ^—         Rout«a  taken  lou 

^ S.S.U.647.  on  convoy  trips. 

;====s  :  Route  taKen  bu 
S.S.U.  647:  towards  Mainz. 
P«t.iqig-    frowMam-r  Moi-ch.mto, 


iFrallken- 

r-rhqif 


/ 
/ 

•  Zwln^enberg 

V    flLbVich 
\ 

HuvenfeLd 

\        QWeinheim 
Kafe»-\hal 


-  HAFEN 


Mainz  is  a  city  of  fair  size  and  presented  many  attractions  to  us  after  the  three 
weeks  of  travel  from  Nancy.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  Rhine  and,  although  not  as 
prosperous  as  several  other  German  cities  of  our  later  acquaintance,  it  is  a  hustling  town 
possessed  of  plenty  of  opportunities  for  amusement.  It  had  a  theatre  where  Opera  could 
be  heard,  cafes  numerous  enough  to  furnish  wide  choice,  and  public  buildings  of  inter- 
est to  be  visited  if  one  cared.  We  considered  ourselves  extremely  fortunate.  The  quar- 
ters we  occupied  were  very  clean  and  comfortable  and  we  were  attached  directly  to  the 
Headquarters  of  the  Tenth  Army  so  that  we  had  few  small  calls  for  cars,  only  being 
called  upon  when  nearly  all  of  the  cars  were  needed  and  there  was  real  attraction  in- 
cident to  the  work. 

The  first  week  was 
spent  in  making  a  per- 
spective of  the  city  and 
vicinity-  After  the  ini- 
tial period  of  getting 
settled  was  over,  cars 
were  cleaned,  and  certain 
formalities  of  routine  es- 
tablished, we  were  given 
a  free  hand  and  set  out 
on  our  explorations.  The 
"fiends"  tried  out  the 
Opera,  another  clique 
made  a  round  of  the 
cafes,  others  headed  out 

The   Kurhaus  in    Wiesbaden  0f    town    for    Wiesbaden 

and  returned  full  of  enthusiasm  over  its  beauties.  The  whole  section  soon  had  the  sit- 
uation well  in  hand  and  the  men  began  to  enjoy  their  time  in  about  any  way  they  pleased. 
The  Mainz  folk  proved  to  be  quite  friendly,  becoming  particularly  so  in  the  cafes. 
The  "Americans"  were  so  well  treated  that  the  French  became  a  bit  jealous  of  the 
attention  paid  us.  We  used  a  little  tact,  however,  and  refused  to  permit  anything  that 
would  cause  serious  feeling  on  the  part  of  our  Allies. 

Wiesbaden  we  found  to  be  an  exceedingly  prosperous  city,  of  much  greater 
architectural  beauty  than  Mainz.  Its  public  buildings,  particularly  the  splendid  Royal 
Theatre  and  the  Kurhaus,  were  easily  the  finest  most 
of  us  had  seen  since  we  had  left  Paris.  It  was  a  tourist 
city  and  well  repaid  the  many  trips  which  we  made 
there. 

The  second  day  of  our  stay  in  Mainz  brought 
back  the  four  men  who  had  gone  into  Paris  to  be 
decorated  with  the  D.  S.  C.  They  reported  a  trip  full 
of  amusing  incidents,  the  best  of  which  were  built 
about  the  sale  of  the  souvenirs  which  they  had  taken 
in  with  them.  The  whole  section  enjoyed  the  way  the 
"dear"  Y.  M.  C.  A-  secretaries,  eager  for  a  touch  of 
the  war,  seized  upon  the  Iron  Crosses  and  helmets 
which  we  had  found  so  plentiful  on  all  sides.  For  once 
some  of  the  men  admitted  a  use  for  the  organization. 

On  the  25th  our  first  real  work  with  the  Tenth 
Army  began.  We  made  the  first  of  a  series  of  convoys 
into  the  neutral  zone  or  into  the  German  held  territory 
after  Allied  prisoners  whom  it  was  necessary  to  move 
by  car  rather  than  by  train.  This  first  trip  was  but  a 
short  one  into  Darmstadt.     We  rather  enjoyed  the  a  little  foraging 

[71] 


1      ^     ™-  f      M 

| 

,1    »x                           ?       S'|  " 

—  1                                       «•■ .    .      .    >     .                 #   '•* 

I                                       *    ....     ..' 

1 
■ 

: 

novelty  of  being  in  this 
city,  held  by  neither 
army.  Darmstadt  is  a 
pretty  place  and  was  the 
scene  of  an  outbreak  dur- 
ing the  Revolution  which 
might  have  become  seri- 
ous had  it  not  been  for 
the  popularity  and  good 
judgment  of  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Hesse,  who  liv- 
ed in  the  city,  and  quick- 
ly acceeded  to  the  pop- 
ular wishes,  thus  adjust- 
ing the  situation.  It  was 
The  bowling  alley  English    prisoners    tout 

we  brought  in  to  Mainz.  Most  had  suffered  neglect  and  abuse  before  the  signing  of  the 
armistice  although,  since,  they  had  been  well  treated  in  the  Darmstadt  hospital.  All 
were  pretty  pleased  to  get  started  home  at  last.  We  finished  our  evacuation  about  four 
o'clock  and  then  made  a  quick  return  as  we  had  prepared  for  a  Christmas  Banquet 
in  one  of  the  cafes  of  the  town. 

This  dinner  was  nearly  as  good  as  the  Thanksgiving  celebration  in  St.  Avoid. 
Our  food,  as  before,  was  excellent.  Place  cards,  drawn  by  Mechanic  Andy,  proved  to  be 
clever  and  well  appreciated  hits  on  the  boys-  Less  effort  was  made  in  the  line  of  after- 
dinner  speeches  than  before,  but  we  succeeded  in  launching  an  organization  to  promote 
continued  relationship  after  our  return  which  we  hope  may  be  fruitful  of  result.  Irving 
B.  Snader  was  selected  as  President,  Robert  W.  Bodfish  as  Secretary-Treasurer,  and  an 
executive  committee  was  chosen,  to  consist  of  these  two  men  with  the  addition  of  Jack 
R.  Swain,  Grant  R.  Willard,  and  Lieutenant  Leroy  M.  Smith.  The  writing  and  pub- 
lishing of  the  section  history  by  Robert  W.  Bodfish  was  also  authorized  at  this  meeting. 
Plans  for  raising  money  to  defray  necessary  expenses  to  be  incurred  in  this  work  were 
to  be  formulated  and  reported  upon  later. 

On  December  28th  we  made  our  second  convoy.  This  time  the  route  led  us 
through  Wiesbaden,  over  hill  after  hill,  much  of  the  way  along  the  edge  of  heavy  for- 
ests, to  Limburg.  The  roads,  very  good  in  dry  weather,  were  covered  with  a  slushy  coat- 
ing of  snow  that  made 
them  very  difficult  and 
dangerous  to  travel.  We 
were  held  at  Limburg  it- 
self through  a  delay  in 
informing  the  authorities 
of  our  arrival.  The  Eng- 
lish prisoners  put  them- 
selves out  to  be  hospit- 
able in  this  extra  time. 
We  were  fed  and  warm- 
ed in  a  manner  that  help- 
ed out  considerably  on  a 
cold  day. 

Sickinger's 
Darkness  set  in  soon  after  we  started  back  and  the  lack  of  adequate  lights  made 
the  going  difficult.     It  seemed  only  our  luck  again  that  prevented  an  accident  with  the 


[72] 


light  cars-  As  it  was,  we  became  lost  several  times,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  "good 
Germans"  who  were  dismayed  at  Americans  in  that  part  of  Germany,  particularly  at 
night. 

On  the  next  day  we  had  our  third  convoy,  one  of  our  best.  Under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  Swiss  Major  we  went  into  Frankfort  for  some  American  prisoners  whom  we 
were  to  take  to  Mannheim.  It  was  but  a  quick  run  to  Frankfort  from  Mainz.  The  city 
was  in  the  neutral  zone  and  seemed  to  have  kept  its  prosperity  despite  the  German  de- 
feat. Frankfort  was  said  to  be  the  Socialist  stronghold  of  Germany,  but  we  found  no 
visible  trace  of  any  unusual  agitation  or  disturbance.  Political  sign  boards  were  in  evi- 
dence in  the  outer  portions  of  the  city,  appealing  for  obedience  to  law.  They  seemed  to 
have  had  the  desired  effect. 

After  passing  the  French  outpost  on  the  edge  of  town  we  pulled  up  in  front  of 
a  hotel  in  the  great  square  by  the  railroad  station.  We  were  immediately  the  center  of 
a  crowd  of  curious  Germans,  with  all  nature  of  information  to  volunteer,  particularly 
about  the  lack  of  bread  in  the  city.  Whether  they  lacked  bread  or  not,  they  seemed 
to  have  plenty  of  other  things  and  were  not  starved  looking. 

The  American  prisoners  were  dressed  in  all  manner  of  makeshift  costumes 
which  they  had  had  to  pick  up  in  place  of  their  own.  Their  treatment  appeared  to  have 
been  like  that  of  princes  in  comparison  with  that  of  the  British  we  had  carried.  There 
had  undoubtedly  been  a  great  awakening  by  the  Germans  in  the  last  few  months,  as 
the  end  was  made  certain,  and  the  need  of  a  spokesman  for  them  clear.  Several  of  the 
prisoners  had  been  ambulance  drivers,  two  being  from  S.  S.  U-  502.  Their  stories  of 
choosing  the  wrong  road  or  of  being  cut  off  within  the  German  lines  were  easily  appre- 
ciated. 

From  Frankfort  we  made  a  good  run  to  Mannheim.  It  was  through  an  exceed- 
ingly pretty  country  and,  it  being  Sunday  and  a  pleasant  day,  we  found  the  younger 


German  cannon  in  the  yard  at  Mains 

[73] 


nkmal  auf  dem  Niederwald 


The  Monument  at  Bingen 

before.  We  were  a  curiosity  which  it  was  difficult 
for  the  Germans  to  understand.  We  undoubtedly 
caused  comment,  though,  outwardly,  the  "stoical" 
enemy  made  no  sign. 

Giessen,  itself,  proved  to  be  a  town  of  fair 
size,  well  stocked  with  German  troops-  We  chanc- 
ed to  meet  a  German  guard  marching  out  in  full 
array,  machine  guns  and  all,  as  we  entered,  and 
had  a  good  opportunity  to  view  the  officer's  ele- 
gance and  the  soldier's  habits  at  close  range.  The 
convoy  went  through  the  town  to  a  camp  just  out- 
side where  the  prisoners  were  kept.  It  was 
Frenchmen  that  we  went  for  this  time.  Most  of 
the  men  were  so  weak  and  sick  from  lack  of  food 
and  the  neglect  of  their  wounds  that  they  had  to 
be  carried  on  stretchers.  A  few  Russians  loitered 
pathetically  about,  literally  men  without  a  coun- 
try. We  were  thankful  to  get  out  on  the  road 
again,  as  the  atmosphere  of  curious,  gaping  Ger- 
mans, responsible  for  the  evils  we  saw,  yet  shirk- 
ers of  that  responsibility,  was  oppressive.  Aside 
from  our  frequent  halting  by  guards,  and  Rorty's 
endeavor  to  find  an  extra  "foot"  for  his  verse  in  a 
cabbage  patch,  our  return  was  practically  with- 
out incident. 


generation  of  Germans  in  great  evidence  strolling 
along  the  shady  roadside,  oblivious  to  Americans, 
war,  or  almost  everything  else.  We  left  Mann- 
heim after  dark,  unfortunately,  and  so  missed  the 
scenery  between  there  and  Mainz.  Worms  was 
but  a  mass  of  shadows  when  we  glided  through, 
and  town  after  town  meant  only  another  land- 
mark on  the  road.  We  made  excellent  time  and 
reached  Mainz  without  incident  a  little  after 
eleven  o'clock. 

New  Years  came  and  went  quietly,  with- 
out the  celebration  of  the  year  before.  Reports 
were  flying  around  about  the  demobilization  of 
our  service.  But  there  was  nothing  definite  and 
we  dropped  the  matter  that  we  might  get  all  en- 
joyment possible  out  of  the  present. 

Our  fourth  convoy,  and  the  one  really  the 
most  worth  remembering,  was  that  to  the  prison 
camp  at  Giessen  on  January  3rd.  Giessen  marked 
our  farthest  into  Germany,  and  our  convoy  drove, 
on  a  special  pass,  through  the  neutral  zone,  well 
into  the  part  of  Germany  still  under  the  control 
of  the  armed  forces  of  the  enemy.  From  Frank- 
fort north,  while  we  were  in  a  new  country,  we 
saw  few  sights  different  from  those  we  had  noted 


[74] 


On  January  8th  a  similar  trip  was  made 
to  Wetzlar  for  more  French  prisoners.  The 
Wetzlar  camp  was  not  far  from  that  at  Giessen. 
Here  we  found  more  Russians  waiting  for  the 
opportunity  to  go  home.  Some,  one  in  particular 
who  could  speak  English,  seemed  rather  friend- 
ly to  the  Bolshevik  Government  and  saw  labor 
opportunities  could  he  but  get  home.  Others  were 
not  so  favorably  inclined. 

The  Wetzlar  trip  closed  our  immediate 
work.  True,  we  were  still  on  duty  with  our  cars 
and  nearly  every  day  some  car  went  on  a  short 
run,  usually  about  the  city,  but  the  convoy  work 
was  practically  over.  The  boys  were  now  well 
acquainted  in  town  and  killed  the  monotony  as 
best  they  could.  Certain  cafes  received  most  of 
the  patronage  and  the  section  soon  became  more 
than  a  name  to  some  of  the  people  of  the  city. 
We  shall  never  forget  these  folk,  hiding  well  war 
feelings  of  every  sort  in  their  behavior  towards 
us.  From  Sickinger's  to  the  "Heiliger  Geist"  cafe 
we  knew  our  ground- 
On  January  16th  the  Lieutenant  served  a 
birthday  spread  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  bar- 
a  good  haul  rack.     It  was  a  good  get-together  which  left  the 

boys  in  rare  humor  at  the  end.    A  few  appeared  a  little  too  talkative,  perhaps,  but  there 

were  no  casualties. 


On  the  17th  the  section  formally  indorsed  plans  for  raising  money  to  print  the 
section  history  and  selected  such  of  the  former  members  of  the  section  as  they  care"d  to 
be  kept  informed  of  plans  for  reunions. 


On  the  19th  we  moved  across  the  drill  yard  into  another  barrack  that  the  French 
might  keep  the  housing  facilities  better  grouped.  Section  635  was  on  the  floor  above  us 
and  we  renewed  our  formed  acquaintance  with  a  few  of  the  members  whom  we  had 
known  in  SandricouH.  Section  625  was  not  far  away  in  the  little  town  of  Bretzenheim, 
and  Section  649  was  also 
close  by  in  Greisheim. 
We  took  especial  interest 
in  meeting  the  boys  of 
649  as  we  had  met  them 
twice  during  our  work 
at  the  front,  and  as  our 
former  Top  Sergeant 
was  now  their  Com- 
manding Officer.  H  i  s 
visits  to  us  were  not  in- 
frequent. 

On  January  21st,  the 
day  after  a  second  small 
convoy  to  Giessen  and 
Wetzlar,  five  men  from 


The  Prison  Camp  at  Giessen 


[75] 


the  section  bowled  a  similar  number  from  649.  It  was  a  close  and  lively  match  which  it 
gave  us  particular  satisfaction  to  win  by  over  forty  pins.  Sickinger's  cafe,  the  scene 
of  this  match  and  also  most  of  our  billard  and  bowling  matches,  was  the  rendezvous  of 
the  indoor  athletes  nearly  every  afternoon  and  evening.  Herr  Sickinger  proved  to  be 
a  most  accommodating  German  and  reserved  his  alleys  for  us  during  several  nights  of 
the  week,  securing  as  well  a  large  English  billard  table  for  our  exclusive  use.  The 
boys  became  quite  proficient  at  bowling,  pool,  and  billards  during  the  winter.  Several 
English  soldiers,  stationed  temporarily  in  Mainz  with  the  transport  corps,  joined  us  as 
long  as  they  were  in  the  city,  and  we  had  many  close  matches  together. 

We  were  really  only  marking  time  now,  waiting  for  some  new  work  or  for 
orders  to  leave  for  France  again.  Rumors  regarding  the  early  demobilization  of  our 
service  were  persistently  arising,  and  we  felt  very  sure  that  the  late  spring  would  find 
us  in  the  United  States.  The  system  of  permissions,  which  had  been  allowed  to  lapse 
while  we  were  in  the  Argonne,  had  been  revived  after  the  armistice  and  the  permission- 
aires  were  taking  their  customary  turns.  The  arrival  of  Stender  and  Savage  from  a 
visit  at  Nice  and  Mentone  found  us  so  hopeless  for  even  a  little  excitement  that  we 
seized  with  considerable  enthusiasm  upon  a  few  reported  misdemeanors  committed  by 
the  travellers  and  proceeded  to  hale  "Jerry"  into  a  mock  court  for  refusing  to  purchase 
a  drink  for  a  tired  Y.  M.  C.  A.  entertainer.  The  defense  was  helpless  before  the  un- 
reasoning indignation  of  the  section  and  not  even  the  defendant's  sterling  qualities 
were  sufficient  protection  against  the  awarding  of  a  fit  sentence  for  the  crime. 

The  fun  enjoyed  in  this  trial  was  so  genuine  that  several  of  the  boys  made 
rather  more  elaborate  preparations  for  a  second  mock  court,  this  time  in  an  effort  to 
bring  Jarvis  Stender  and  Don  Harris  in  as  the  principals.  The  dark  days  of  Ottweiler, 
when  Stender  had  an  "encounter"  with  Harris  furnished  a  pretext,  and  the  men  were 
called  upon  to  appear.  Bodfish  acted  as  the  attorney  for  Harris  while  Rorty  defended 
Stender.  The  feature  of  the  trial,  in  the  midst  of  many  comical  incidents,  was  the  bring- 
ing in  of  Stender's  diary  as  evidence.  The  melting,  pathetic,  nature  of  the  book,  used 
to  demonstrate  the  earnest  desire  of  Stender  for  friendship  with  Harris,  was  so  vividly 
used  by  Rorty  that  even  the  mouth  of  the  supposed  writer  of  the  words  was  agape  at 
the  reading.  Of  course,  both  men  were  included  in  a  sentence  suitable  to  the  misdemeanor. 

Not  to  be  outdone  by  the  legal  lights  the  section's  reportorial  staff  awoke  from 
a  nine  months  slumber  and  the  "Necturus",  the  old  news  sheet  of  the  Lagney  days,  was 
issued  once  more.     Although  it  again  had  only  a  short  life  it  served  its  purpose  well. 

The  prospect  of  our  being  called  into  Paris  soon  put  us  in  mind  of  our  very 
noticeable  lack  of  even  the  rudiments  of  military  drill-  As  the  Lieutenant  was  more 
than  willing,  we  began  drilling  on  the  parade  ground  of  the  Caserne  in  the  second 
week  of  February.  Another  trip  to  Paris  by  the  Lieutenant  and  the  transfer  of  the 
section's  quarters  to  Bretzenheim,  a  village  just  outside  of  Mainz,  prevented  much  train- 
ing. We  reecived  enough,  however,  to  overcome  our  rustiness,  and  found  little  difficulty 
in  our  "Army"  experience  later  on. 

Situated  as  we  were,  away  from  the  American  Quartermaster,  and  being  un- 
able to  secure  all  needed  supplies  from  the  French,  we  had  for  some  time  been  making 
trips  to  Coblenz  to  purchase  from  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  or  Army  Commissary,  and  secure 
whatever  things  the  Knights  of  Columbus  or  Red  Cross  would  give  us.  One  trip  had 
been  to  Metz,  and  the  recent  departure  of  the  Lieutenant  for  Paris  had  been  accom- 
panied by  the  dispatch  of  two  cars  to  Nancy  for  supplies.  The  trips  to  Coblenz  were 
the  real  treats,  however,  and  before  we  left  Germany  nearly  every  man  in  the  section 
had  an  opportunity  to  go  at  least  once  with  Mess  Sergeant  "Horn".  These  trips  were 
so  delightful  in  good  weather,  and  "Horn",  with  his  skilful  manipulations  of  the  coun- 
try folk  as  well  as  the  officials  in  Coblenz,  became  such  an  institution  connected  with  our 
mess,  that  it  seems  quite  permissible  to  describe  one  of  these  journeys. 

"Horn"  was  an  early  riser  on  the  days  of  his  trips  and  the  car  invariably  gov 

[76] 


away  by  seven  o'clock.  The  road  from  Mainz  to  Bingen  lay  back  a  little  distance  from 
the  Rhine,  but  there  was  always  an  occasional  glimpse  of  the  river  whenever  the  hills 
dropped  to  the  rolling  plain.  At  Bingen  a  stop  was  usually  made  for  refreshments  be- 
fore the  second  and  most  delightful  part  of  the  trip  was  undertaken. 

Bingen  is  a  quiet  little  town  with  its  quaint  beauty  enhanced  by  the  majestic 
river  and  the  green,  terraced  gardens  of  the  opposite  bank.  Standing  high  above  the 
right  bank  is  the  "National  Denkmal"  to  commemorate  the  victorious  rising  of  the  Ger- 
man people  in  1870.  It  is  a  beautiful  statue,  even  from  a  distance,  and  suggests,  with 
the  surrounding  scenery,  a  wish  that  the  people  might  have  kept  the  simple,  national 
feeling  of  that  day  and  not  transgressed  the  equally  just  realm  of  other  patriots. 

Close  to  the  shore,  scarcely  a  few  minutes  from  Bingen,  is  the  Mouse  Tower,  fa- 
mous for  its  fable  of  the  wicked  bishop  of  Mainz  and  his  starving  people-  The  road  fol- 
lows the  river  closely  for  the  entire  distance.  A  railroad  runs  beside  it  which  is  crossed 
many  times  along  the  route.  Occasionally  the  road  pierces  a  gigantic  cliff  which  rises 
too  sharply  from  the  water  to  warrant  room  for  passage  at  its  base.  On  either  side  of 
the  river  there  is  little  room  for  the  road  and  railway  as  the  hills  and  cliffs  rise  very 
steeply.  There  are  towns  every  few  miles  crowded  against  the  hillside,  usually  in  one 
single  street  on  the  river  bank.  They  are  pleasant  little  villages  but  their  sameness,  de- 
spite "Horn's"  ready  stories  of  incidents  connected  with  their  history,  always  made  them 
interest  the  driver  little  and  threw  his  attention  again  to  the  heights  above  the  river 
where  the  ruins  of  the  castles  and  forts  of  the  olden  time  stood  as  grim  sentinels  of  those 
days  when  no  boat  might  pass  up  the  stream  unchallanged  by  the  barbarous  guardians  of 
the  Rhine.  Such  castles  topped  about  every  crag  large  enough  to  furnish  a  foundation, 
and  one  can  easily  picture  the  days  of  delightful  amity  which  the  occupants  must  have 
enjoyed  with  their  neighbors,  each  holding  only  nominal  obedience  to  a  power  greater 
than  his  own  might  of  arm. 

The  steep  banks  of  the  Rhine  are  really  the  edges  of  a  high  plateau  in  which  the 
river  has  cut  its  deep  channel  through  the  centuries.  We  could  not  distinguish  the  pla- 
teau and  found  the  ruins  on  the  rugged  heights  even  more  picturesque  than  had  we  seen 
the  land  behind  them.  We  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  Loreley.  This  huge  cliff  car- 
ries with  it  a  legend  nearly  as  famous  as  the  Rhine  itself.  The  dangerous  undercurrent 
at  the  base  of  the  rock  is  still  there  but  the  Siren  of  the  rock  has  passed  into  that  myth- 
ology where  so  many  heroes  and  heroines  of  the  past  have  vanished. 

By  ten  o'clock  the  car  was  invariably  on  the  edge  of  Coblenz.  This  was  the  cen- 
ter for  the  American  Army  of  Occupation,  and  we  moved  carefully  lest  the  freedom  toler- 
ated at  Mainz  lead  us  into  trouble  with  the  American  supervision  of  the  city.  Coblenz  ap- 
peared very  beautiful  and  the  troops  here  had  every  opportunity  to  enjoy  the  material 
comforts  which  help  to  make  life  endurable-  It  was  a  delight  to  follow  "Horn"  about 
as  he  humored  an  exasperating  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary,  thanked  a  kind  Red  Cross  official, 
or  induced  the  authorities  at  the  Army  Commissary  to  sell  him  needed  articles. 

Early  afternoon  saw  us  on  the  return  trip.  The  American  flag  floating  majes- 
tically over  the  Ehrenbreitstein,  Germany's  Rhine  barrier,  made  a  lasting  picture  as  we 
hummed  back  towards  Mainz.     Home  before  dark  was  usually  our  rule. 

The  transfer  of  the  quarters  of  the  section  from  Mainz  to  Bretzenheim  altered 
markedly  our  mode  of  living.  Most  of  the  men  slept  in  two  rooms  of  an  unused  school, 
and  the  kitchen  and  cars  were  parked  in  an  old  yard  in  the  rear.  However,  living  here 
was  not  compulsory,  and  quite  a  number  of  the  men  secured  rooms  in  private  houses  about 
the  town.  Rental  of  such  rooms  seemed  very  low,  and  the  housewives  were  very  atten- 
tive and  kind.  The  only  orders  were  that  the  men  be  present  at  a  nine  o'clock  rollcall. 
They  could  do  this  easily  and  still  spend  their  nights  in  Wiesbaden  or  Mainz  as  whim 
might  dictate.  Such  a  situation  believers  in  rigid  army  discipline  might  find  it  difficult 
to  condone.  Yet,  looking  back,  we  saw  in  it  a  sensible  solution  of  our  necessarily  monot- 
onous life,  a  solution  perhaps  not  possible  for  every  unit,  but  assuredly  very  proper  for  us. 

[77] 


The  Moose  Tower 

Coolena 

Th*  Lortlty 


Our  assignment  to  the  Tenth  Army  had  added  a  French  clerk  to  our  roster- 
Our  first  clerk  left  us  in  Mainz,  our  second,  Albert  Mounaud,  had  become  an  accepted 
member  in  good  standing  in  all  section  activities  before  we  moved  to  Bretzenheim.  He 
had  been  a  law  student  before  the  war,  and  found  it  easy  and  natural  to  mix  with  the  men. 

On  February  19th  the  Lieutenant  returned  from  Paris,  bringing  two  important 
changes  with  him.  The  first  was  the  appointment  of  Jack  R.  Swain  as  First  Sergeant. 
Swain  had  been  doing  the  first  sergeant's  work  for  some  time  and  with  such  unusual  suc- 
cess and  lack  of  friction  that  every  man  welcomed  his  promotion.  The  second  change 
was  the  transfer  of  Cook  Henry  M.  Martinson  to  Base  Camp,  from  which  he  was  to  be 
sent  home  immediately,  and  the  appointment  of  Roger  J.  Williams  as  the  new  cook. 
Marty  was  a  married  man  and  deserved  to  leave  for  home  early.  Williams  was  popular 
anyway  and  did  a  good  job  in  the  kitchen. 

On  the  22nd  Major  Berle  from  the  Service  Headquarters  inspected  the  section 
and  pronounced  us  to  be  in  finer  shape  than  any  section  he  had  visited  so  far.  He  was 
then  nearly  through  his  route. 

Section  644  arrived  in  our  vicinity  and  Section  625  started  for  Base  Camp 
and  demobolization  at  this  time.  We  were  not  due  to  leave  for  a  month  yet  but  were  "all 
set"  should  we  receive  advance  orders. 

A  circus  in  Mainz,  attended  by  several,  and  a  successful  baseball  game  with 
Park  A  of  Mainz  helped  to  keep  life  moving.  We  evacuated  a  hospital  nearby  to  one  at 
Kreuznach,  just  to  remind  us  of  our  official  job.  Really  we  were  mighty  impatient  to  start 
for  Paris  and  America 

By  the  14th  of  March  Smith,  Snader,  and  McGuire  had  definitely  made  up  their 
minds  to  transfer  to  the  Demobilization  Camp  at  St.  Aignan,  become  discharged,  and 
enlist  for  six  months  work  in  Poland  with  the  American  Red  Cross.  Lieutenant  Kendrick 
of  Section  649,  and  Lieutenant  Butkiewicz  of  Section  523  were  to  go  with  them.  Upon 
the  return  of  Lieutenant  Smith  who  had  once  more  been  called  to  Paris  on  official  busi- 
ness, the  Red  Cross  enthusiasts  started  for  St.  Aignan.  Their  departure  marked  the  be- 
ginning of  the  end.  We  were  all  to  leave  so  soon  that  incidental  delays  became  nearly 
intolerable.  The  loss  of  these  three  men  was  remedied  by  Bodfish  becoming  clerk  for 
the  remainder  of  our  period  of  service,  Willard  completing  the  duties  of  the  Mess  Ser- 
geant, and  Burt  taking  McGuire's  place  as  driver  of  the  staff  car. 

There  is  only  a  little  more  to  write  concerning  our  life  in  Germany.  On  March 
18th  a  small  party,  made  up  principally  of  the  fellows  not  on  any  of  the  Coblenz  trips, 
took  an  excursion  with  the  French  on  the  Rhine  as  far  as  Boppard.  It  was  a  beautiful 
day  and  the  men  enjoyed  every  moment  of  the  voyage.  The  last  few  days  of  our  stay  in 
Bretzenheim  were  marred  by  the  attempt  of  the  French  Headquarters  in  Mainz  to  send 
us  to  Paris  by  train,  cars  and  all,  rather  than  by  road  as  we  wished.  Fortunately  they 
could  not  make  up  a  train  at  the  last  moment  and  we  were  able  to  have  our  Mainz  to 
Paris  convoy  after  all.  We  left  Bretzenheim  early  on  Tuesday  morning,  the  26th,  and 
said  a  permanent  farewell  to  the  Rhine,  Germany,  and  our  war  activity,  which  had  brought 
us  so  much  of  hardship,  yet  also  of  happiness,  during  nearly  two  years  life  in  Europe. 

The  first  day's  trip  took  us  to  St.  Avoid.  It  was  over  country  with  which  we 
were  somewhat  familiar  and  we  found  little  interest  to  obviate  the  discomfort  which  a 
very  rainy  day  offered.     St.  Avoid  appeared  much  as  we  had  left  it  four  months  before- 

The  27th  brought  another  early  start.  The  day  was  again  rainy  and  if  we  had 
not  been  on  our  way  through  an  historic  region  our  disgust  would  have  been  complete. 
We  made  a  short  stop  just  inside  the  wall  at  Metz,  then  passed  through  the  famous  bat- 
tlefields of  1870  to  the  marks  of  the  late  war.  The  shelling  on  the  district  about  Verdun 
had  levelled  all  signs  of  habitation.  Villages  were  but  rock  quarries  and  forests,  black- 
ened, broken  stumps.  We  ate  our  lunch  in  Verdun,  thus  permitting  several  of  the  section, 
who  had  worked  posts  nearby  in  the  volunteonne,  where  the  fighting,  though  intense,  had 
They  returned,  amazed  at  the  complete  upheaval  about  Fort  Douamont,  so  much  more 

[79] 


complete  than  any  we  had  known  in  the  Arger  service,  to  visit  their  former  surroundings, 
not  meant  the  destruction  which  prolonged  bombardment  had  wrought  here.  Of  course 
we  wandered  about  the  town,  battered  and  torn  by  years  of  shelling.  It  was  but  another 
reminder  of  the  price  paid  by  France  in  her  martyrdom.    Again  we  saluted  her. 

The  night  we  spent  at  St.  Menehould,  a  town  not  far  from  Verdun,  and  familiar 
to  most  of  the  section  during  the  volunteer  or  Argonne  days.  The  trip  took  us  to  the  edge 
of  the  Argonne  and  the  previous  fall  came  back  vividly  as  we  passed  almost  within  sight 
of  Varennes.  It  was  to  be  an  easy  jog  to  Reims  and  we  were  able  to  put  in  a  good  sleep 
in  an  old  hospital  in  St.  Menehould  where  we  were  quartered  for  the  night. 

A  drizzle  early  on  Friday  slackened  later  in  the  morning  and  we  had  quite  good 
weather.  "Hap"  Ahlers  had  the  rear  end  of  his  car  break  soon  after  leaving.  The  re- 
sulting efforts  to  keep  him  and  several  men  w  ith  flat  tires  in  touch  with  the  convoy  confus- 
ed us  to  such  an  extent  that  the  cars  were  separated,  the  two  sections  waiting  for  each 
other  on  the  outskirts  of  Reims,  while  Mark  Kerr  chose  a  route  of  his  own,  his  absence 
causing  us  considerable  anxiety  since  roads  and  towns  were  not  the  best  of  landmarks 
about  the  city.  The  main  convoy  had  had  to  make  several  changes  in  direction  while 
en  route,  on  one  occasion  having  considerable  difficulty  in  turning  about  in  the  middle  of 
the  old  No  Man's  Land,  a  barren  waste,  where  the  roads  ran  across  yet  unfilled  trenches- 

We  were  fortunate  in  reaching  the  nearly  untouched  section  of  the  city  first,  as  a 
sort  of  introduction  to  the  worst  mutilation  which  most  of  us  had  ever  seen.  For  quar- 
ters we  were  assigned  to  a  French  barrack  just  outside  the  city  and  on  heights  command- 
ing a  good  view  of  the  country.  Of  course  the  Caserne,  of  which  this  barrack  was  a  part, 
had  been  partially  destroyed.  There  was  little,  scarcely  anything,  connected  with  Reims, 
which  had  not  suffered. 

A  rainy  night  even  could  not  prevent  many  of  the  boys  from  exploring  the  city. 
Harris  came  very  near  serious  harm  when  he  stumbled  over  some  barbed  wire  in  the 
darkness  and  opened  a  deep  cut  on  his  hand.  It  required  careful  work  by  his  companions 
and  the  help  of  a  French  medical  assistant,  next  door,  to  set  things  right  again.  Don  was 
pale  for  some  time  from  loss  of  blood. 

We  lay  over  in  Reims  for  a  full  day  as  a  rest  for  the  men  and  an  opportunity 
to  check  up  on  the  cars.  Saturday  afternoon  and  evening  saw  every  man,  unless  already 
satiated  with  ruins,  wandering  about  the  city. 

Reims  was  the  worst  specimen  of  war's  destructiveness  most  of  us  had  seen. 
This  city  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  people,  the  center  of  a  flourishing 
countryside,  itself  the  home  of  factories  and  prosperous  shops  and  stores,  had  been  bat- 
tered to  a  pulp.  Street  after  street,  home  after  home,  was  only  a  mere  suggestion  of 
what  it  had  been.  From  the  famous  Cathedral,  the  first  target  of  the  German  cannon, 
to  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  every  building  seemed  to  have  been  struck.  Great  mill  chim- 
neys were  broken  away,  machinery  was  twisted  and  ruined,  walls  lay  flat,  or  stood  mu- 
tilated in  a  vain  attempt  to  mark  a  house  or  a  store.  Some  buildings  escaped,  with  but 
chipped  walls  to  recall  the  bombardment.  These  had  been  considerably  utilized  as  homes 
and  stores  by  the  intrepid  folk  who  were  returning  to  rebuild  the  city.  These  sights 
stirred  us  even  more  than  did  that  of  the  Cathedral,  beautiful  even  under  its  wounds, 
as  they  told  the  gigantic  task  which  confronted  those  determined  to  bring  forth  from  all 
this  debris  a  new  Re,-ms,  as  proud  and  majestic  as  of  old. 

During  Sunday,  March  30th,  we  made  the  trip  from  Reims  to  Meaux-  It  took 
us  through  Chateau  Thierry,  the  scene  of  America's  great  effort  in  the  German  Drive  of 
the  previous  yea>%  and  along  the  edge  of  the  Marne  battlefield.  At  Meaux  we  had  our 
simple  supper  served  in  style  in  a  restaurant  as  a  change  from  the  menu  "a  la  mess  kit". 
We  found  Section  644  and  Section  649  close  by,  also  on  their  way  to  Paris  and  Base  Camp. 

Monday  noon  we  drew  up  at  the  curb  just  outside  the  Porte  Pantin  in  Paris 
The  Lieutenant,  who  had  gone  ahead  into  the  city  for  orders,  reappeared  quite  promptly 
and  we  crowded  up  to  hear  the  latest  verdict.    The  first  item  was  that  we  were  to  be  rush- 

[81] 


The  Beims  Cathedral 


Stopping  in  Verdun 


ed  into  Base  Camp  the  next  day  and  hurried  to 
Brest  in  order  to  sail  by  April  5th.  Then  came  an 
official  citation  from  the  82nd  Division  for  our  work 
with  them  in  the  Argonne.  Lastly  there  was  a 
French  citation  for  the  Lieutenant,  accompanied  by 
a  Croix  de  Guerre.  At  these  announcements  our 
spirits  rose  as  never  before.  We  pulled  around  the 
edge  of  the  city  into  a  park  for  the  night,  as  jubil- 
ant as  could  be. 

The  men  were  granted  passes  until  eleven 
o'clock  next  morning.  We  shipped  our  baggage 
home  through  the  American  Express  Company,  paid 
a  last  farewell  to  old  friends,  visited  the  Opera  and 
other  institutions  of  memory.  Before  eleven  o'clock 
the  men  were  at  the  park,  ready  to  set  out.  Everett 
H.  Smith,  Leo  F.  McGuire,  Irving  B.  Snader,  and 
Robert  W.  Bryerly,  old  section  members,  now  pri- 
vate citizens  of  the  world,  were  on  hand  to  see  us  off. 
We  rather  suspect  that  the  first  three  would  have 
gladly  forsworn  Poland  and  gone  on  with  us. 

It  was  only  a  half  afternoon's  run  to  Ferrieres, 
the  Base  Camp  of  the  Service.  Mess  time  found  us, 
minus  our  cars,  full  fledged  soldiers  again,  started 
on  the  last  lap  towards  demobilization. 


[S3] 


CHAPTER  VII 
DEMOBILIZATION 


UR  chronicle  of  the  section  must  end  officially  with  the  arrival  at 
Base  Camp.  Our  work  as  we  had  known  it  was  over  and  we  be- 
came simply  a  demobilization  unit,  a  part  of  the  Army,  the  distinc- 
tions which  we  had  enjoyed  gone.  The  S.  S.  U.  was  dropped  and 
we  remained  Section  647.  Several  of  the  men  were  transferred 
to  the  Casual  Squad  for  discharge  at  St.  Aignan,  and  Titchener 
left  for  an  extended  permission  to  visit  relatives  in  England.  Thir- 
teen new  men  were  assigned  to  us  for  discharge.  Most  of  them  were 
from  Park  A  in  Mainz  and  had  been  acquaintances  before  this 
time.    We  found  them  quite  congenial  and  enjoyed  the  friendship  with  them. 

The  Base  Camp  of  the  Service  had  been  moved  from  Sandricourt,  where  we 
had  helped  carry  it  on  in  the  winter  of  1917,  to  Ferrieres  soon  after  we  reached  Neuf- 
chateau.  It  was  used  as  a  center  for  the  construction  of  sections  and  the  disposal  of 
casuals.  At  this  time  its  work  consisted  almost  wholly  of  the  preparation  of  the  sec- 
tions of  the  service  for  shipment  to  Base  Ports,  and  then  to  the  United  States. 

Plans  seemed  to  point  to  our  immediate  departure.  We  were  paid.  Our  cars 
were  given  up,  and  we  assumed  our  share  of  the  routine  work  of  the  camp,  guard,  kit- 
chen police,  or  special  duty.  On  Thursday,  April  3rd,  we  passed  through  the  inspecting  and 
delousing  routine,  and  were  assigned  a  barrack  in  the  Quarantine  Area.  Titchener, 
Putnam,  Stender,  Gaynor,  McEnness,  and  G rover  Taylor  left  us  for  parts  unknown.  The 
boys  marched  to  and  from  the  general  mess  in  Army  formation,  assumed  packs  as  part  of 
life's  burden,  and  tried  to  keep  cheerful.  One  contingent  of  sections  had  left  the  Camp 
soon  after  we  arrived.  We  expected  to  follow  them  to  Brest.  Our  papers  were  made 
out  according  to  the  Brest  regulations,  and  the  eleven  sections  which  were  to  make  up 
our  contingent  were  organized  with  Lieutenant  Smith  as  the  Commanding  Officer.  We 
were  ready. 

Just  what  occurred  between  this  moment  and  our  actual  departure,  to  change 
our  destination  from  Brest  to  Saint  Nazaire  has  always  been  a  mystery.    It  is  said  that 


The  Quarantine  Camp  at  Ferrit 


1 84] 


there  were  rumors  of  a 
little  difficulty  and  de- 
lay encountered  by  the 
last  contingent  at  Brest 
which  led  the  authorities 
to  send  us  to  the  less  used 
port.  Whatever  the  rea- 
son for  this  transfer  we 
certainly  paid  the  price 
of  someone's  error. 

There  were  two  post- 
ponements of  our  depart- 
ure before  we  left,  at  last, 
on  Tuesday,  April  8th. 
We  were  en  route  from 
Our  billet  in  Le  Douet  late  forenoon  until  eight 

o'clock  the  next  afternoon.  It  was  a  tiresome  ride  but  one  which  we  did  not  at  all  object 
to,  as  our  spirits  were  then  of  the  best.  On  arrival  at  Nantes  we  left  the  boxcars  and 
hiked  for  some  miles  outside  the  city  to  a  little  town,  Le  Douet,  Loire  Inferriere,  where 
we  were  ordered  to  wait  until  arrangements  were  completed  for  our  transportation.  The 
various  sections  were  billeted  in  the  lofts  over  stables  or  the  attic  rooms  of  houses  about 
the  town.  Part  of  our  section  was  assigned  to  the  Town  Hall  which  we  shared  with 
Section  534-  Aided  by  straw  ticks  we  made  ourselves  quite  comfortable  on  the  floor.  534 
was  of  about  the  same  type  as  our  own  section  and  we  got  along  "famously"  with  them. 
All  of  the  sections  ate  at  a  general  mess  close  by  these  quarters.  We  were  not  particu- 
larly proud  of  our  menu  which  varied  little  day  after  day.  We  excuse  those  in  authority, 
however,  as  it  was  probably  the  best  they  could  do  for  us. 

It  was  not  a  difficult  matter  for  us  to  become  settled,  or  to  seek  out  a  varia- 
tion from  the  prescribed  routine.    We  had  guard  as  before  and  sanitary  detail,  which  fell 


'  Inspection ' 


[85] 


■ 


Three  little  chums  at  Lc  Douet 

The  Farewell 

"Forward!  March!" 


to  us  on  the  days,  apparently,  that  some  inspection  or  other  was  not  called  for.  Each 
day  the  section  was  supposed  to  drill  with  packs  in  the  morning  and  hike  without  packs 
in  the  afternoon.  We  could  not  revolt  much  against  this  program  since  it  was  the  cus- 
tomary thing  with  all  army  units.  Yet  it  seemed  a  pity  for  us  to  have  to  be  initiated  into 
the  mysteries  of  army  regulation  after  going  through  the  war  so  free  from  other  than 
very  necessary  detail.  There  were  several  clothing  and  equipment  inspections  by  officers 
from  the  Area  Headquarters  at  Nantes.  On  one  occasion  we  were  reviewed,  along  with 
a  base  hospital,  by  General  Pershing.  He  complimented  the  Contingent  Commandant 
upon  the  large  number  of  decorations  won  by  the  men-  It  is  said  that  he  ordered  the  Area 
Commander  to  hurry  us  to  Saint  Nazaire  as  soon  as  possible.  This  order  must  have  been 
misinterpreted  somewhere  as  we  did  not  leave  right  away.  The  General  addressed  us 
after  the  review  and  admonished  us  as  to  our  behavior  and  comment  to  the  people  in 
America  when  we  arrived.  He  told  of  the  many  good  things  which  were  to  be  said  of  the 
American  Expeditionary  Forces.  It  was  a  long  march  back  to  our  billet  and  a  longer 
wait  before  the  General's  reported  order  was  fulfilled. 

We  had  been  so  optimistic  over  our  speedy  shipment  to  Saint  Nazaire  that  we 
had  paid  little  attention  to  sources  of  amusement.  The  continued  delay  soon  dissipated 
our  courage  and  we  turned  aside  to  the  first  opportunity  at  hand  for  a  change.  A  cafe 
next  door  furnished  a  lounging  room  for  the  afternoons  when  not  at  work,  and  for  the 
long  evenings.  There  was  a  billard  table  on  which  the  boys  brushed  up  the  skill  dor- 
mant since  Mainz.  The  village  folk  were  very  pleasant  and  made  a  great  deal  of  the 
men.  We,  in  turn,  carried  on  a  thriving  business  at  the  cafe,  not  confining  our  trade 
to  the  articles  popularly  purchased  but  buying  our  meals  there  on  the  not  infrequent 
days  when  our  mess  was  scarcely  palatable.  In  the  evenings  it  was  quite  the  usual  thing 
for  the  boys  to  join  the  neighbors  in  games  or  other  recreation.  This  neighborhood 
entertainment  is  a  custom  in  the  little  towns  of  France  which  has  appealed  to  all  types 
of  American  soldiers  when  billeted  among  the  people.  It  is  a  good  promoter  of  under- 
standing between  them. 

Within  the  Nantes  Area  there  were  troops  of  many  organizations  concentrated 
for  overseas  transportation.  In  and  about  the  city  there  were,  consequently,  numerous 
places  of  amusement  conducted  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A-,  and  Knights  of  Columbus.  We  got 
into  the  habit,  easily,  of  attending  the  basket  ball  games  and  entertainments  found 
there.  Nearly  every  week  some  travelling  A.  E.  F.  company  would  put  on  its  show  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Nantes  troops.  These  companies  were  ordinarily  made  up  of  clever  per- 
formers and  we  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  performances.  There  were,  of  course,  always 
moving  pictures  to  see.    Even  these  were  a  relief  after  the  listlessness  at  Le  Douet. 

The  few  days,  ever  lengthened,  became  weeks  as  we  waited  for  the  order  which 
was  to  take  us  to  Saint  Nazaire.  The  papers  of  the  contingent  were  remade.  Back  rec- 
ords, never  used  or  lost,  were  hunted  up,  or  invented,  and  everyone  did  his  utmost  to 
follow  the  instructions  sent  from  the  Headquarters  in  Nantes  which  always  seemed  to 
ask  something  unheard  of  from  us.  The  officers  of  the  contingent  seemed  completely  at 
ea  over  the  new  requirements.  We,  naturally,  were  exasperated  at  the  delay  and  saw 
very  little  good  in  anything  that  was  done,  or  in  anyone  that  did  the  doing.  We  about 
gave  up  the  idea  of  ever  leaving  until  the  Area  was  absolutely  cleared  of  troops.  The 
order  to  move  came  as  an  unbelievable  surprise  on  May  15th.  We  marched  to  the  rail- 
road station  at  Nantes  and  were  again  marshalled  into  box  cars  on  the  16th.  On  reach- 
ing Saint  Nazaire  we  were  marched  up  to  Camp  Number  2  for  the  night-  Early  on  the 
morning  of  the  17th  we  were  inspected,  our  equipment  was  passed  upon  and  we  were 
again  deloused.  All  this  was  done  in  such  an  expeditious  manner  that  we  marched  to 
the  dock  and  were  on  board  ship  before  dark.  No  comparison  is  more  staggering  than 
that  of  the  efficiency  at  Saint  Nazaire  with  the  methods  employed  at  other  centers  where 
we  have  been.  We  were  disgusted  enough  at  the  delays  before  we  reached  Saint  Nazaire. 
Once  there,  we  found  only  methods  to  praise. 

[87] 


rJ 


En  route  for  St.  Nazairc 
Delousing  at  Camp  Dix  Wet  Weather.  On  shipboard 


The  troop  ship  to  which  we  were  assigned  was  the  U.  S.  S.  Mallory,  an  old  coast- 
wise vessel  refitted  for  use  as  a  troop  ship.  The  ship  was  none  too  large  for  oversea 
travel  but  it  was  kept  quite  clean,  which  fact  more  than  made  amends  for  the  tossing 
which  was  given  by  the  ocean.  The  ship  left  port  early  on  the  morning  of  May  18th. 
It  was  within  sight  of  the  French  shore  by  six  o'clock  and  we  crowded  the  rails  for  a  last 
farewell  to  France.  Under  other  conditions  we  might  have  felt  sad  but  we  had  waited 
too  long  for  this  moment  to  come  for  there  to  be  any  sadness  to  blight  our  joy  at  going 
home. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  shore  disappeared  from  sight  that  the  boys  began  to 
stagger  to  the  rail,  and  then  reel  down  two  steep  flights  of  stairs  to  the  hold  where  they 
flopped  on  to  the  bunks  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  some,  for  the  rest  of  the  trip  nearly.  By 
the  end  of  the  first  three  days  most  of  the  men,  although  perhaps  not  as  chipper  as  usual, 
were  up  and  about,  making  the  best  of  a  hard  lot. 

The  bunks  were  simply  canvas  covers  on  iron  bars,  making  the  task  of  keeping 
the  hold  clean  and  sanitary  not  a  particularly  difficult  one.  Mess  was  served,  theoretic- 
ally, in  certain  groups  three  times  a  day.  Really  most  of  the  day  was  spent  lining  up  for 
mess  and  mess  kit  washing.  The  mess  lines  doubled  and  redoubled  about  the  ship-  The 
food  was  quite  good  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  odor  of  the  ship  and  kitchen,  and  the 
tossing  of  the  boat,  we  might  have  enjoyed  our  meals.  As  it  was,  the  only  really  enjoy- 
able place  was  on  deck.  On  pleasant  days  nearly  every  man  could  be  found  there.  On 
stormy  days  the  waves  broke  over  the  deck  and  kept  us  below.  On  very  rare  occasions 
we  were  allowed  the  promenade  deck  but,  ordinarily,  that  was  forbidden  and  we  could 
only  choose  between  being  drenched  to  the  skin  on  the  forward  or  after  decks,  or  being 
semi-sick  below. 

A  small  ship's  library  kept  us  supplied  with  some  reading  matter,  and  a  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  man  presumed  to  watch  out  for  us.  Every  evening,  blood  curdling  moving  pictures 
were  shown  on  a  flickering  screen  on  the  after  deck.  On  the  Saturday  before  we  docked 
there  were  contests  and  boxing  matches  on  deck  to  help  pass  the  time  away.  Pie 
eaters  plastered  themselves  copiously  with  mince  meat,  and  coin  hunters  came  out  covered 
with  flour  and  eggs. 

The  smallness  of  the  ship  and  the  heavy  sea  delayed  us  a  little  so  that  we  did 
not  reach  New  York  until  Wednesday  afternoon.  It  was  a  beautiful  day,  in  many  senses, 
the  most  beautiful  day  we  had  yet  known.  After  the  inspection  by  the  port  officials  we 
moved  slowly  up  the  bay,  greeted  everywhere  by  the  welcoming  whistle  of  boats  of  all 
description  as  well  as  by  cheers  from  the  shore.  The  Mayor's  Committee  of  Welcome  for 
the  City  of  New  York  steamed  out  to  meet  us,  bringing  friends  and  relatives  of  many  of 
the  men  on  board.  Their  band  played  and  our  little  band  did  its  best  in  reply.  The  nec- 
essary slow  process  in  docking  accomplished,  we  pushed  and  crowded  our  way  over  the 
gang  plank  on  to  the  dock  where  we  lined  up  as  sections  for  a  rollcall,  and  then  ran  over 
to  where  the  Red  Cross,  Y  M.  C.  A.,  and  Salvation  Army  were  giving  out  coffee,  sand- 
wiches, and  pie,  as  well  as  chocolate  and  other  candy.  Everywhere  that  we  turned  it 
seemed  as  if  someone  pushed  some  sort  of  fruit  or  candy  into  our  hands. 

The  contingent,  except  for  LaFleur,  who  had  been  taken  sick  on  the  last  day 
and  was  sent  to  a  hospital,  went  by  ferry  to  the  Pennsylvania  Station  in  Jersey  City. 
There  we  were  again  waited  upon  by  kind  ladies  with  fruit  and  coffee.  A  train,  for 
which  we  waited  impatiently,  carried  us  to  Camp  Dix,  New  Jersey,  where  we  marched 
into  the  demobilization  camp  and  were  assigned  our  barracks  at  about  two  o'clock  Thurs- 
day morning,  the  29th. 

There  is  no  particular  need  for  a  pause  concerning  the  week's  stay  at  the  de- 
mobilization camp.  We  were  deloused  again,  soon  after  our  arrival,  and  were  then 
marched  to  other  quarters  to  wait  until  our  turn  came  to  be  discharged.  On  Tuesday 
most  of  us  were  passed  physically  for  discharge  and  were  checked  up  on  our  papers. 
All  of  the  men  who  were  to  be  discharged  at  Camp  Dix  were  out  of  the  army  by  June  5th. 

[89] 


"Rome  of  the  boys 


Crowded  Deck  as  ship  enters  New  York  Harbor 


Entering  New  York  Harbor 


[90 1 


Those  who  had  enlisted  in  the  United  States  and  had  to  be  sent  to  other  camps  for  dis- 
charge were  free  very  soon  after. 

One  of  the  features  of  our  short  life  at  Camp  Dix  was  the  visit  of  some  of  the 
friends  and  relatives  of  the  boys.  Also,  one  of  the  section  members,  Rosen,  who  had 
been  detached  from  us  before  the  armistice,  by  reason  of  illness,  came  for  a  final  farewell. 

It  was  fortunate  that  the  section  partially  broke  up  in  France  and  that  the  men 
were  not  all  discharged  at  one  stroke  in  Camp  Dix.  Otherwise  it  might  have  been  less 
easy  to  say  goodbye.  As  it  was,  it  took  every  bit  of  the  joy  over  being  so  near  home 
to  tide  over  the  parting.  We  had  lived  to-gether,  worked  together,  and  played  together 
for  so  long  that  we  sincerely  regretted  that  the  pleasure  of  becoming  civilians  again  had 
to  be  accompanied  by  a  loss,  at  least  temporarily,  of  so  many  real  friends.  We  hope  that 
this  separation  will  not  be  permanent  in  any  case.  We  hope  that  very  many  of  the  men 
will  be  able  to  accept  the  invitations  extended  by  every  man  to  visit  him  if  in  the  near 
neighborhood  of  his  home-  We  hope,  also,  that  all  of  the  men  may  meet  again  in  a  body 
to  renew  the  splendid  acquaintances  of  the  years  in  France.  Yet,  whether  we  ever  meet 
again  or  not,  the  memory  of  the  past  two  years  will  always  be  kept  bright,  and  the  name 
of  647  will  be  a  reminder  of  good  comrades  and  faithful  friends. 


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[91] 


To  the  Members  of  S.  S.  U.  647 : — 

It  has  been  with  a  sense  of  direct  loss  that  I  have 
watched  our  section  gradually  disintegrate  and  the 
men  return  to  civil  life.  It  is  pleasant  for  you  to  re- 
sume the  various  activities  which  appeal  especially  to 
your  interest,  but  it  is  a  pity  that  we  have  to  separate 
when  we  become  civilians. 

I  like  to  think  of  the  last  few  weeks  of  disappoint- 
ment as  a  dream  and  remember  only  our  days  of  real 
enjoyment,  those  days  when  we  labored  at  the  front, 
those  later  days  when  we  found  so  much  of  companion- 
ship in  Germany. 

Our  separation  ought  not  to  be  permanent.  The 
sentiments  of  reunion  we  expressed  in  Germany  must 
not  be  permitted  to  die.  I  have  not  forgotten  the  in- 
vitation which  I  contemplated  on  the  other  side  and 
I  hope  to  see  you  at  my  home  sometime  in  the  future. 

No  man  more  deeply  appreciates  the  honor  of  be- 
ing a  part  of  our  section  than  I.  I  want  every  man 
to  know  that  I  am  deeply  grateful  for  the  unselfish 
assistance  each  of  you  gave  me.  I  trust  that  the  com- 
ing years  may  reward  you  with  the  greatest  happi- 
ness and  prosperity. 

Sincerely, 


[»21 


APPENDIX 

CITATIONS  OF  SECTION  MEMBERS 

CROIX  de  GUERRE 
Le  Sergent  Jack  B.  Kendrick,  SSU  647,  rattache  a  la  102  Cie  d' Ambulances : — 

"A  fait  preuve  d'une  grande  bravoure  en  dirigeant  l'evacuation  des  Blesses  sous 
un  violent  bombardement  d'obus  de  gros  calibre  et  toxiques.     S'est  volontairement  pro- 
pose comme  guide  et  a  du  etre  evacue,  ayant  ete  lui-meme  intoxique." 
G.  Q.  G.,  le  29  Mai,  1918. 

Le  General  Passaga,  Cdt.  le  32  C.  A. 


DISTINGUISHED  SERVICE  CROSS 


PRIVATE  1  CL.  LEO  F.  McGUIRE. 
"Was  on  duty  as  driver  of  ambulance  at  the  advanced  post  in  the  26th  Division- 
al Area  on  April  19,  1918.  During  April  19th  and  20th  he  made  several  trips  to  and 
from  a  dressing  station  reached  by  an  exposed  road,  in  daylight,  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  back  wounded.  On  one  of  these  trips  the  ambulance  was  blown  from  the  road 
by  the  explosion  of  a  shell  and  he  was  knocked  unconscious  by  the  shock-  An  recovering 
consciousness  he  returned  on  foot.  Although  suffering  from  an  injury  to  the  back  and 
not  yet  recovered  from  the  shock,  he  wished  to  return  to  duty  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day;  but  was  not  permitted  to  do  so  by  the  medical  officer  until  the  afternoon  of  the  fol- 
lowing day." 


PRIVATE  1  CL.  JACK  R.  SWAIN. 
"Near  Beaumont,  France,  on  June  19th,  1918,  he  went  to  the  rescue  of  wounded 
men,  who  were  exposed  to  shell  fire  as  the  result  of  an  accident  to  their  ambulance,  and 
being  only  able  to  approach  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  wrecked  car,  he  took  a 
stretcher  and  crawled  along  a  ditch  on  the  side  of  the  road,  thus  succeeding  in  this  mis- 
sion.    He  then  recovered  the  body  of  the  third  man  who  had  been  killed  in  the  accident." 


PRIVATE   1st  CLASS   TOD   F.  GILLETT     (deceased),  S.  S.  U.  647. 

"On  June  19,  1918,  near  Beaumont,  France,  he  volunteered  with  his  ambulance, 
under  heavy  bombardment,  to  bring  wounded  men  to  a  place  of  safety.  While  returning 
from  this  perilous  trip,  he  was  killed  by  a  shell." 


PRIVATE  1st  CLASS  MARK  E.  KERR. 
For  extraordinary  heroism  in  action  near  Fleville  and  St.  Juvin,  France,  11,  13  Oct.  18- 
"After  thirty-six  hours  of  continuous  driving  over  heavily  shelled  roads,  Private 
Kerr  upon  his  own  initiative  was  the  first  to  establish  liaison  with  an  advanced  dressing 
station  which  had  been  isolated  by  the  explosion  of  a  tank  trap.  To  do  this  he  lifted  his 
car  across  the  mine  crater  with  the  aid  of  some  infantrymen  and  for  eight  hours  there- 
after drove  his  ambulance  through  a  heavy  bombardment  of  high  explosive  and  gas  shells 
between  the  mine  crater  and  the  dressing  station.  During  this  period  his  car  was  pierc- 
ed repeatedly  by  shell  fragments,  two  of  his  patients  receiving  additional  wounds.  Two 
days  later  when  the  infantry  made  a  further  advance  his  car  was  again  the  first  to  es- 
tablish liaison  with  an  advanced  dressing  station  on  the  outskirts  of  St.  Juvin." 


PRIVATE  1st  CLASS  HENRY  L.  SIGNOR 
For  extraordinary  heroism  in  action  near  Sommerance,  France,  11  October,  1918. 

"Following  the  advance  of  the  infantry,  Private  Signor  caused  his  car  to  be 

[08] 


lifted  across  a  mine  crater  by  some  infantrymen,  and  proceeding  for  three  kilometres 
down  a  road  heavily  bombarded  with  gas  and  high  explosive  shells,  he  evacuated  wound- 
ed from  a  culvert  only  four  hundred  yards  from  the  enemy  outposts.  On  the  return  ti  ip 
his  car  was  struck  by  splinters  from  an  exploding  shell,  which  pierced  the  clothing  of 
his  aide  and  caused  fresh  wounds  to  one  of  his  patients.  After  transfering  his  wounded 
across  the  crater  to  another  car  he  succeeded  in  driving  it  over  a  road  almost  destroyed 
by  shell  fire  to  a  newly  established  dressing  station  in  Sommerance.  He  continued  to 
operate  his  car  for  twelve  hours  until  he  was  relieved,  having  at  all  times  displayed 
unhesitating  courage  and  devotion  to  duty." 


PRIVATE  1st  CLASS  CLIFFORD  KIRKPATRICK. 
For  extraordinary  heroism  in  action  at  Sommerance,  France,  13 — 15  October,  '18. 

"While  he  was  loading  his  ambulance  at  an  advanced  dressing  station,  Private 
Kirkpatrick  was  struck  in  the  back  by  a  shell  fragment  and  rendered  unconscious.  Upon 
recovering  he  drove  his  car  through  heavy  shell  fire  back  to  the  field  hospital  and  made 
repeated  trips  until  relieved-  Two  days  later  Private  Kirkpatrick,  arriving  at  a  point  on 
the  road  near  an  advanced  post  saw  a  shell  strike  in  the  middle  of  an  infantry  detach- 
ment moving  up  to  the  line.  He  stopped  his  car  and  despite  continuous  and  intense  shell- 
ing loaded  on  three  wounded  soldiers,  carried  them  back  to  the  nearest  aid  station,  re- 
turned and  continued  the  work  of  evacuation  until  relieved." 


PRIVATE  JAMES  H.  RORTY. 
"Private  Rorty  was  relieved  from  duty  as  a  mechanic  in  order  that  he  might 
serve  as  aide  on  cars  during  the  Argonne  offensive.  While  engaged  in  evacuating  wound- 
ed from  a  culvert  not  far  from  enemy  outposts  fragments  of  shell  pierced  his  clothing, 
and,  although  suffering  from  shock,  he  repeatedly  ran  ahead  in  the  dark  to  guide  the 
car  over  a  road  partly  destroyed  by  shells  and  still  under  enemy  machine-gun  fire.  Re- 
turning with  relief  cars  he  again  served  as  guide  and  as  stretcher-bearer  until  the  evacua- 
tion was  completed. 


This  letter  was  sent  by  the  Chief  of  Service  to  the  following  men: — Samuel  A. 
Wilder,  Allen  H.  Ahlers,  Dirk  J.  Luykx,  John  B.  Titchener,  Eric  A.  Astlett,  Robert  W. 
Bodfish,  Arthur  W.  Burt,  Stuart  H.  Fraser,  Charles  M.  Bashore. 

November  4,  1918. 
FROM:    Acting  Chief,  U  S.  A.  Ambulance  Service  with  the  French  Army. 
TO: 
SUBJECT:    Commendation  of  personal  bravery. 

1.  It  has  been  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Chief  of  Service  that  throughout 
the  period  of  very  hard  and  dangerous  work  which  Section  647  was  called  upon  to  per- 
form during  the  month  of  October,  you  performed  your  work  of  rescuing  the  wounded 
with  such  courage,  devotion,  and  complete  disregard  of  personal  risk  as  to  win  the  ad- 
miration of  the  officers  under  whom  you  served. 

2.  Such  conduct  not  only  does  honor  to  your  section  but  brings  increased  re- 
spect to  the  whole  Ambulance  Service  of  which  you  are  a  part. 

A.  Piatt  Andrew, 
Lieut.  Colonel,  U.  S.  A.  A.  S. 


CITATIONS  RECEIVED  AFTER  DISBANDING  OF  SECTION 

PRIVATE  1st  CLASS  ERIC  A.  ASTLETT,  S.  S.  U.  647  with  French  Army. 

For  distinguished  and  exceptional  gallantry  at  Norroy,  France,  on  15  Sept-,  1918 
in  the  operations  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  in  testimony  thereof  and  as  an 

[94] 


expression  of  appreciation  of  his  valor,  I  award  him  this  citation. 
Awarded  on  27  March  1919. 

John  J.  Pershing, 
Commander-in-Chief. 


COMMENDATION  ON  THE  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  SECTION. 

France,  Feb.  28,  1919. 

1.  The  following  extract  from  the  report  of  Major  Charles  K.  Berle,  M.  C, 
who  recently  inspected  your  section  is  quoted  for  your  information : — 

"The  quarters  of  this  section  were  very  neatly  kept,  the  men  clean  and  having 
a  military  appearance  in  every  sense.  The  cars  were  clean  and  all  capable  of  rolling, 
short  commutator  parts.     This  was  the  best  section  inspected  so  far  this  trip." 

2.  The  Chief  of  Service  directs  that  you  be  informed  of  the  pleasure  it  has 
afforded  him  to  read  this  report  of  the  very  excellent  condition  of  your  section. 

By  direction: — William  McFarland, 

Major  Ambulance  Service,  U.  S.  A- 
Executive  Officer. 


CITATIONS  OF  THE  SECTION 

HEADQUARTERS   26th   DIVISION 
American  Expeditionary  Forces 

France,  May  3,  1918. 
General  Order,  No.  34 

Early  in  the  morning  of  April  20th  1918,  the  enemy  launched  a  sudden  and 
vigorous  attack  on  that  part  of  our  front  occupied  by  the  102nd  Infantry.  Under  the 
protection  of  a  smothering  artillery  firing  shrapnel,  gas,  and  high  explosive  shells  speci- 
ally trained  storm  troops  supported  by  infantry  greatly  outnumbering  our  own  made  a 
bold  and  determined  attempt  to  gain  a  permanent  foothold  in  that  part  of  our  sector. 

The  engagement  lasted  well  into  the  21st,  when  the  enemy  after  a  particularly 
desperate  struggle  at  close  quarters  was  forced  to  retire  without  having  attained  his  ob- 
jective. 

Under  such  circumstances  it  was  but  natural  that  we  suffered  some  slight  losses 
and  I  feel  deeply  for  the  wives  and  mothers  who  will  never  again  see  their  brave  husbands 
and  sons  who  have  died  for  the  cause  of  liberty  and  freedom  on  the  battlefields  of  France. 
They  may  well  be  proud  of  soldiers  like  these  ...  To  the  great  majority; — to  those 
who  were  more  fortunate  and  who  came  through  the  attack  unscathed  and  who  are  ready 
and  eager  to  show  their  spirit  again,  I  desire  to  convey  my  congratulations  on  their  suc- 
cess in  turning  back  the  enemy,  and  my  admiration  for  their  splendid  courage  and  brav- 
ery. I  wish  to  mention  specially  the  valorous  conduct  of  the  following  organizations 
which  took  part  in  this  engagement: — (among  others)  DETACHMENT  SECTION 
SANITAIRE  UNIT  NO.  647. 

(Signed)  C.  R.  Edwards, 
Major  General,  Commanding. 

The  men  named  in  this  detachment  by  a  letter  from  the  commanding  officer  of 
the  102nd  Ambulance  Company  which  whom  we  were  attached  were: — 
Sgt-  1st  Class  Philip  Klein  Drivers: — McGuire,  McEnness,  Gaynor, 

Sgt.  Jack  B.  Kendrick  Ahlers,  Swain,  Dunlap,  McCrackin,  Signor, 

Corporal  Carey  Willard,    Bodfish,    Astlett,    Wilder,    Harris, 

Mech.  Risley,  Anderson.  Kirkpatrick,    Soles,    Gillett,    Boatman,    Tit- 

chener,  Putnam. 

[95] 


HEADQUARTERS  82nd  DIVISION 
American  E.  F.,  France. 

13  January,  1919. 
General  Orders,  No.  1 

1.  The  Commanding  General  announces  to  the  Command  the  splendid  conduct 
of  the  following  officers  and  soldiers  in  action  against  the  enemy  as  described  after  their 
respective  names : 

EXTRACT. 
Service  Sanitaire  Unite  No.  647 
This  entire  outfit  performed  most  efficient  service  under  unusually  trying  con- 
ditions during  the  Meuse-Argonne  offensive,  October  6 — 31,  1918.  The  individual  mem- 
bers of  this  unit  in' the  execution  of  their  duty  of  evacuating  wounded  from  battalion 
aid  stations  to  the  dressing  stations  in  the  rear  were  continually  under  shell  fire,  how- 
ever, displayed  an  utter  lack  of  regard  for  their  personal  safety  and  a  high  state  of 
devotion  to  duty,  which  characterizes  the  best  traditions  of  the  American  soldier.  *  *  * 

2.  The  Commanding  General  takes  particular  pride  in  announcing  to  the  Com- 
mand these  fine  examples  of  courage  and  self  sacrifice.  Such  deeds  are  evidence  of  that 
spirit  of  heroism  which  is  innate  in  the  highest  type  of  the  American  soldier  and  responds 
unfailingly  to  the  call  of  duty,  wherever  or  whenever  it  may  come. 

3-     This  order  will  be  read  to  all  organizations  at  the  first  formation  after  its 

receipt. 

OFFICIAL  By  Command  of  Major  General  Duncan  : 

R.  I.  Boyd,  Gordon  Johnston, 

Major,  A.  G.  D.,  Adjutant.  Chief  of  Staff. 

CASUALTIES 

KILLED. 
Private  First  Class  Tod  Ford  Gillett,  June  19,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 

WOUNDED. 
Sergeant  Jack  B.  Kendrick,  burned  by  gas,  April  20,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Mechanic  Lou  R.  Risley,  gassed,  April  29,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Private  First  Class  Devereux  G.  Dunlap,  gassed,  April  20,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Private  First  Class  Clarence  A.  Gaynor,  gassed,  April  20,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Private  First  Class  Wallace  McCrackin,  gassed,  April  20,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Private  First  Class  John  J.  McEnness,  gassed,  April  20,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Private  First  Class  Jack  R.  Swain,  gassed,  April  20,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Private  First  Class  Grant  R.  Willard,  gassed,  April  20,  1918,  at  Beaumont,  France. 
Private  Clifford  O.  Soles,  gassed,  August  8,  1918,  at  Flirey,  France. 
Private  Mike  A.  Shusko,  gassed,  August  8,  1918,  at  Flirey,  France. 
Private  First  Class  Stuart  H.  Fraser,  hit  by  eclat,  October  14,  1918,  at  Pleinchamp 
Farm,  France. 


[•%) 


ROSTER  OF  SECTION  647 


Leroy  M.  Smith,  First  Lieutenant,  Ehrhardt,  South 
Carolina.  Enlisted  April  21,  1917.  Was  in  the  U.  S.  A. 
A.  S.  at  Allentown.  Became  the  Commanding  Officer  of 
the  Section  on  June  5,  1918.  Awarded  Croix  de  Guerre 
and  American  Distinguished  Service  Cross. 


Jack  R.  Swain,  Sergeant  First  Class,  2818  Maple  Ave- 
nue, Dallas,  Texas.  Was  in  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes 
Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  October  4,  1917.  Joined  the 
section  November  8,  1917.  Became  First  Sergeant,  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1919.  Has  been  decorated  with  the  American 
Distinguished  Service  Cross. 


Wallace  McCrackin,  Sergeant,  Hamilton,  Montana. 
Was  in  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  En- 
listed October  4,  1917.  Joined  the  section,  November  8, 
1917. 


Henry  M.  Martinson,  Cook,  Vanville,  North  Dakota. 
Enlisted  September  18,  1917.  Was  with  the  307th  Sani- 
tary Train.  Officially  assigned  to  the  section,  November 
6,  1918.  Had  been  with  section  since  June,  1918.  Left,  to 
return  to  U.  S.  A.  on  honorable  discharge,  February  19, 
1919. 


Roger  J.  Williams,  Cook,  Rusk,  North  Carolina.  En- 
listed February  22,  1918.  Was  in  the  Medical  corps  as  a 
Casual.  Joined  the  section  July  6,  1918.  Became  a  cook 
on  February  19,  1919. 


[97] 


Edmund  G.  E.  Anderson,  Mechanic,  Woodstock,  Con- 
necticut. Was  with  the  American  Ambulance,  Neuilly-sur- 
Seine.  Enlisted  September  12,  1917.  Joined  the  section 
November  19,  1917. 


Lou  R.  RiSLEY,  Mechanic,  1200  Pierre  Street,  Man- 
hattan, Kansas.  Enlisted  May  16,  1917.  Was  in  the  U.  S. 
A.  A.  S.  at  Allentown.  Joined  the  section  February  4, 
1918. 


Leo  F.  McGuire,  Meclianic,  Box  34,  Tulsa,  Oklahoma. 
Was  with  Section  11,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service. 
Enlisted  September  12,  1917.  Joined  the  section  November 
8,  1917.  Has  been  decorated  with  the  Croix  de  Guerre  in 
the  Volunteer  Service,  and  the  American  Distinguished  Ser- 
vice Cross.  Left  the  section  in  March  for  work  with  the 
American  Red  Cross  in  Poland. 


Everett  H.  Smith,  Mechanic,  Clerk,  8  West  Rock 
Avenue,  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  Was  with  the  Ameri- 
can Ambulance,  Neuilly-sur-Seine.  Enlisted  September  8, 
1917.  Joined  the  section  November  19,  1917.  Left  the 
section  in  March  for  work  with  the  American  Red  Cross 
in  Poland. 


Allen  H.  Ahlers,  Private  First  Class,  394  Second 
Avenue,  Saint  Cloud,  Minnesota.  Was  with  Section  61, 
Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  September 
26,  1917.     Joined  the  Section  November  8,  1917. 


[98] 


Eric  A.  ASTLETT,  Private  First  Class,  117  Pearl  Street, 
New  York  City.  Was  with  Section  61,  Norton-Harjes  Am- 
bulance Service.  Enlisted  September  26,  1917.  Joined 
the  section  November  8,  1917.  Received  citation  from  Gen- 
eral Pershing. 


Robert  W.  Bodfish,  Private  First  Class,  Palmer, 
Massachusetts.  Was  with  the  American  Ambulance,  Neu- 
illy-sur-Seine.  Enlisted  September  8,  1917.  Joined  the 
section  November  19,  1917.  Clerk  of  section  from  March, 
1919. 


Arthur  W.  Burt,  Private  First  Class,  Windsor  Locks, 
Connecticut.  Was  with  the  American  Ambulance,  Neuilly- 
sur-Seine.  Enlisted  September  12,  1917.  Joined  the  sec- 
tion November  8,  1917. 


DEVEREUX  G.  Dunlap,  Private  First  Class,  3908  Gaston 
Avenue,  Dallas,  Texas.  Was  with  Section  21,  Norton-Har- 
jes Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  October  4,  1917.  Joined 
the  section  November  8,  1917.  Received  citation  from 
General  Pershing. 


Stuart  H.  Fraser,  Private  First  Class,  609  West  158th 
Street,  New  York  City.  Was  with  Section  21,  Norton- 
Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  September  26,  1917. 
Joined  the  section  November  8,  1917. 


[99] 


n     1 


Clarence  A.  Gaynor,  Private  First  Class,  151  West 
88th  Street,  New  York  City.  Was  with  Section  7,  Norton- 
Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  October  3,  1917. 
Joined  the  section  on  November  8,  1917. 


R.  Donnell  Harris,  Private  First  Class,  569  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York  City.  Was  with  Section  11,  Norton- 
Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  September  12,  1917. 
Joined  the  section  November  8,  1917.  Has  received  the 
Croix  de  Guerre  in  the  Volunteer  Service. 


Albert  LaFleur,  Private  First  Class,  3  Hancock 
Street,  Worcester,  Massachusetts.  Enlisted  June  11,  1917. 
Was  with  the  U.  S.  A.  A.  S.  in  Allentown.  Joined  the 
section  February  4,  1918. 


Mark  E.  Kerr,  Private  First  Class,  Fellows,  Cali- 
fornia. Was  with  Section  21,  Noiton-Harjes  Ambulance 
Service.  Enlisted  October  19,  1917.  Joined  the  section 
November  19,  1917.  Has  received  the  American  Distin- 
guished Service  Cross. 


Clifford  Kirkpatrick,  Private  First  Class,  856  Main 
Street,  North  Leominster,  Massachusetts.  Was  with  the 
American  Ambulance,  Neuilly-sur-Seine.  Enlisted  Sep- 
tember 12,  1917.  Joined  the  section  November  19,  1917. 
Has  received  the  American  Distinguished  Service  Cross. 


[100] 


W^jjp    «^- 


Dirk  J.  Luykx,  Private  First  Class,  362  Riverside 
Drive,  New  York  City.  Enlisted  October  12,  1917.  Joined 
the  section  November  8,  1917. 


John  J.  McEnness,  Private  First  Class,  Newport, 
Rhode  Island.  Was  with  Section  7,  Norton-Harjes  Ambul- 
ance Service.  Enlisted  October  3,  1917.  Joined  the  section 
November  8,  1917. 


William  A.  Putnam,  Private  First  Class,  70  Willow 
Street,  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Was  with  the  American  Am- 
bulance, Neuilly-sur-Seine.  Enlisted  September  12,  1917. 
Joined  the  section  February  4,  1917. 


Henry  L.  Signor,  Private  First  Class,  15  LaGrange 
Street,  Worcester,  Massachusetts.  Was  with  the  Ameri- 
can Ambulance,  Neuilly-sur-Seine.  Enlisted  September  8, 
1917.  Joined  the  section  November  19,  1917.  Has  received 
the  American  Distinguished  Service  Cross. 


Irving  B.  Snader,  Private  First  Class,  417  Golden  Hill 
Street,  Bridgeport,  Connecticut.  Was  with  Section  11, 
Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  September  12, 
1917.  Joined  the  section  November  8,  1917.  Has  been 
Acting  Mess  Sergeant. 


[101] 


E2 


Jarvis  Stender,  Private  First  Class,  1214  West  74th 
Street,  Auburn  Park,  Chicago,  Illinois.  Was  with  the 
American  Ambulance,  Neuilly-sur-Seine.  Was  with  the 
American  Red  Cross,  Section  24.  Enlisted  September  18. 
Has  received  the  Croix  de  Guerre  in  the  Volunteer  Service. 
Re-enlisted  with  the  American  Red  Cross  after  service  with 
the  Army. 


John  H.  Taylor,  Private  First  Class,  Mountain  Lakes, 
New  Jersey.  Was  with  Section  61,  Norton-Harjes  Ambul- 
ance Service.  Enlisted  September  26,  1917.  Joined  the 
section  November  8,  1917. 


John  B.  Titchener,  Private  First  Class,  223  Thurston 
Avenue,  Ithaca,  New  York.  Was  with  the  American  Am- 
bulance, Neuilly-sur-Seine.  Enlisted  September  8,  1917. 
Joined  the  section  November  19,  1917. 


Samuel  A.  Wilder,  Private  First  Class,  28  Medford 
Street,  Springfield,  Massachusetts.  Was  with  the  Ameri- 
can Ambulance,  Neuilly-sur-Seine.  Enlisted  September  8, 
1917.    Joined  the  section  November  19,  1917. 


Grant  R.  Willard,  Private  First  Class,  Mankato,  Min- 
nesota. Was  with  Section  61,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance 
Service.  Enlisted  September  26,  1917.  Joined  the  section 
November  8,  1917. 


1021 


Charles  M.  Bashore,  Private,  Mifflintown,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Enlisted  May  29,  1917.  Was  with  the  U.  S.  A. 
A.  S.  at  Allentown.    Joined  the  section  February  4,  1918. 


James  H.  Rorty,  Private,  C/o  Philip  H.  Rorty,  Goshen, 
New  York.  Enlisted  June  9,  1917.  Was  with  the  U.  S.  A. 
A.  S.  at  Allentown.  Joined  the  section  February  4,  1918. 
Has  received  the  American  Distinguished  Service  Cross. 


Jeremiah  J.  Savage,  Private,  1506  S.  Ringgold  Street, 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  Enlisted  May  28,  1917.  Was 
with  the  U.  S.  A.  A.  S.  at  Allentown.  Joined  the  section 
February  4,  1918. 


Eston  Snipes,  Private,  Monroe,  North  Carolina,  R.  F. 
D.  No.  1.  Enlisted  March  7,  1918.  Had  been  a  casual  in 
the  Medical  Corps.     Joined  the  section  July  6,  1918. 


Clifford  0.  Soles,  Private,  Woburn,  Massachusetts. 
Was  with  the  American  Field  Service.  Enlisted  October 
17,  1917.    Joined  the  section  November  24,  1917. 


[103] 


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GROVER  TAYLOR,  Private,  Bridgeville,  Delaware.  En- 
listed March  8,  1918.  Had  been  a  casual  in  the  Medical 
Corps.     Joined  the  section  July  6,  1918. 


Lee  A.  Waldock,  Private,  South  Hayes  Avenue,  San- 
dusky, Ohio.  Enlisted  April  28,  1918.  Had  been  a  casual 
in  the  Medical  Corps.     Joined  the  section  July  6,  1918. 


Thomas  M.  Woodell,  Private,  New  York  Laundry, 
Jacksonville,  Florida.  Was  with  Section  60,  Norton-Harjes 
Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  October  20,  1917.  Joined  the 
section  November  8,  1917.  Has  received  the  French  Croix 
de  Guerre  in  the  Volunteer  Service.  Acted  as  section  cook 
until  April  2,  1919.     Reduced  at  his  own  request. 


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TRANSFERRED  AFTER  THE  SECTION  LEFT 
THE  FRONT. 

JACK  B.  Kendrick,  Second  Lieutenant,  Fairfax,  Ver- 
mont, formerly  Sergeant  First  Class.  Was  with  Section  11, 
Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  September 
12,  1917.  With  the  section  from  November  8,  1917,  to  No- 
vember 5,  1918.  Received  Croix  de  Guerre  while  with  the 
section.  Became  Commanding  Officer  of  Section  649,  U.  S. 
A.  A.  S.,  later,  a  Red  Cross  Officer  for  Service  in  Poland. 


Robert  W.  Byerly,  Sergeant,  later  reduced  at  his  own 
request,  141  Broadway,  New  York  City.  Was  with  Section 
21,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service.  Enlisted  October  4, 
1917.  Was  with  the  section  from  November  8,  1917,  to 
November  25,  1918. 


[104] 


Maurice  S.  Rosen,  Private,  1300  Randolph  Street, 
N.  W.,  Washington,  D.  C.  Enlisted  May  15,  1917.  Was 
with  the  U.  S.  A.  A.  S.  in  Allentown.  Was  with  the  sec- 
tion from  February  4,  1918,  to  November,  1918. 


George  S.  Jackson,  First  Lieutenant,  formerly  Ser- 
geant. Was  with  Section  11,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance 
Service.  Enlisted  September  12,  1917.  Was  with  the  sec- 
tion from  September  30,  1918,  to  November  21,  1918.  Re- 
ceived the  Croix  de  Guerre  in  the  Volunteer  Service. 


John  B.  Carey,  Corporal,  White  Salmon,  Washington. 
Was  with  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Service. 
Enlisted  October  4,  1917.  Was  with  the  section  from 
November  8,  1917,  to  December,  1918. 


Raymond  0.  Morton,  Private,  Winslow,  Indiana,  R. 
F.  D.  2.  Enlisted  March  29,  1918.  Was  a  casual  in  Medical 
Corps.  Was  with  the  section  from  July  6,  1918,  to  Novem- 
ber 25,  1918. 


Stanley  J.  Porchaska,  Private  First  Class.  Enlisted 
October  18,  1917.  Was  with  the  section  from  November  5, 
1918,  to  November  25,  1918.  Had  been  a  U.  S.  A.  A.  S. 
casual. 


[105] 


Mike  A.  Shusko,  Private.  Enlisted  March  30,  1918 
Was  a  casual  in  the  Medical  Corps.  Was  with  the  section 
from  July  6,  1918,  to  November  25,  1918. 


Shela  Womack,  Private.  Enlisted  February  9,  1918. 
Was  a  casual  in  the  Medical  Corps.  Was  with  the  section 
from  July  6,  1918,  to  November  25,  1918. 


FORMER  MEMBERS  OF  THE  SECTION. 


Tod  Ford  Gillett,  Private  First  Class,  Crescent  Place, 
Tampa,  Florida.  Was  with  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes  Am- 
bulance Service.  Enlisted  October  4,  1917.  Joined  the  sec- 
tion November  8,  1917.  Was  killed  while  on  duty  with  his 
car  at  Beaumont,  France,  June  19,  1918.  His  parents  are 
the  recipients  of  the  American  Distinguished  Service  Cross 
awarded  for  his  bravery. 


Harry  E.  Anderson,  Captain,  formerly  First  Lieuten- 
ant, the  first  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Section.  Was  the 
former  chef  of  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance  Ser- 
vice. Was  with  the  section  from  November  12,  1917,  to 
June  5,  1918. 


Philip  Klein,  First  Lieutenant,  formerly  Sergeant 
First  Class.  Was  with  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes  Ambul- 
ance Service.  Enlisted  October  4,  1917.  Was  with  the  sec- 
tion from  November  8,  1917,  to  July  9,  1918. 

[106] 


Edward  W.  Keever,  Second  Lieutenant,  formerly  Pri- 
vate First  Class,  Centreville,  Ohio.  Enlisted  October  4, 
1917.  Was  with  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes  Ambulance 
Service.  Was  with  the  section  from  November  8,  1917,  to 
March  10,  1918. 


Edward  Browning,  Private  First  Class.  Enlisted 
October  4,  1917.  Was  with  Section  21,  Norton-Harjes  Am- 
bulance Service.  Was  with  the  section  from  November  8, 
1917,  to  November  30,  1917. 


Lawrence  Boatman,  Cook.  Enlisted  May  15,  1917. 
Was  with  the  U.  S.  A.  A.  S.  in  Allentown.  Was  with  the 
section  from  November  19,  1918,  to  September  20,  1918. 


Edward  Durkin,  Mechanic.  Enlisted  May  25,  1917. 
Was  with  the  section  from  November  8,  1917,  to  November 
24,  1917. 


Robert  H.  Wolf,  Private.  Enlisted  October  11,  1917. 
Was  with  the  U.  S.  A.  A.  S.  in  Allentown.  Was  with  the 
section  from  November  19,  1917  to  February  4,  1918. 

[1071 


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